Cibrarp  of  l!Ae  Cheolocjical  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate  of  the 
Rev.  John  B.  Wiedinger 

Wh9en6Jesus  wrote  on  the 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


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WHEN  JESUS  WROTE 
ON  THE  GROUND 


EDGAR  DeWITT  JONES,  D.D, 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE 
ON  THE  GROUPS^ 

Studies,  Expositions  and  Meditations 
In  The  Life  of  the  Spirit 


EDGAR  DeWITT  JONES,  D.D. 

MINISTER  OF  CENTRAL  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  DETROIT 

Author  of  "The  Inner  Circle,"  "The  Wisdom  of  God's 
Fools,"  "Fairhope"  etc. 


WITH  AN  APPRECIATION  BY 

DR.  CHARLES  CLAYTON  MORRISON 

EDITOR  OF  "THE  CHRISTIAN  CENTURY" 


NEW 


YORK 


GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1922, 
BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND.  I 
PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


TO 

THE  MEMBERS  AND  OFFICE-BEARERS 
OF 

FIRST  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  BLOOMINGTON,  ILLINOIS 

WHERE  FOR  FOURTEEN  YEARS  THE  AUTHOR 
ENJOYED  THE  HIGH  PRIVILEGE  OF  A  FREE  PULPIT 

AND  TO  OTHER  FRIENDS  AND  FELLOW-WORKERS 
OF  THAT  COMMUNITY 

THIS  VOLUME  OF  SERMONS 
IS  GRATEFULLY  AND  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED 


EDGAR  DeWITT  JONES 


An  Appreciation  by 
CHARLES  CLAYTON  MORRISON 
Editor  of  The  Christian  Century 

Those  who  know  Edgar  DeWitt  Jones,  the  man, 
will  keep  wishing  that  all  who  share  with  them  the  in- 
spiration of  these  published  sermons  might  have  in 
mind  the  image  of  the  preacher  himself.  Lucid  and 
heartening  as  this  printed  preaching  is,  it  requires  the 
personal  presence  of  the  preacher  to  give  it  its  full 
power.  Such  a  remark  I  well  know  is  a  commonplace, 
and  it  passes  usually  as  a  truism.  But  it  is  not  always 
true.  Preachers  there  are  a-plenty  whose  written 
word  is  discounted  by  their  personalities,  just  as  Paul's 
opponents  declared  that  his  letters  were  weighty  and 
telling,  but  his  personality  weak  and  his  delivery  be- 
neath contempt.  We  know  that  in  Paul's  case  this 
was  simply  the  talk  of  his  enemies,  for  the  results  of 
the  personal  labors  of  the  great  apostle  are  not  open 
to  dispute  and  the  tone  of  voice  in  which  he  defies 
his  opponents  in  the  later  chapters  of  his  Second  Corin- 
thian letter  discloses  a  sense  of  personal  power  which 
a  man  could  hardly  have  gained  save  by  its  successful 
exercise  under  many  crucial  tests. 

Yet,  however  it  may  have  been  with  Paul,  whether 
his  outer  personality  put  his  great  soul  at  a  disadvan- 


ii 


AN  APPRECIATION 


tage  as  compared  to  the  power  expressed  in  his  written 
message,  the  fact  remains  that  the  severest  test  to  which 
the  personality  of  a  minister  can  be  put  is  not  in 
preaching  to  his  people  but  in  simply  living  among 
them.  To  be  sure,  his  preaching  is  a  part  of  his  living, 
but  his  living  is  more,  far  more,  than  his  preaching. 
No  man  in  the  community  is  subjected  to  such  a  search- 
ing of  the  foundations  and  hidden  recesses  of  his  char- 
acter as  is  the  minister.  He  stands  in  the  spotlight  of 
public  attention,  not  alone  when  he  stands  in  the  pulpit, 
but  in  his  daily  walk  and  conversation.  He  has  far  less 
privacy  than  any  other  man.  The  margin  of  his  de- 
portment in  which  he  may  be  indifferent  to  the  opinion 
of  others  is  narrower  than  in  the  case  of  any  of  his 
neighbors.  Unless  his  public  message  is  reinforced  by 
a  personality  of  depth  and  grace,  his  message  suffers 
great  discount.  No  matter  how  brilliant  a  success  a 
minister  may  achieve  in  the  pulpit,  his  success  will 
lack  substance  and  foundation  if  his  people  have  to 
speak  apologetically  of  the  private  side  of  his  life.  But 
if  his  people  see  in  him  the  embodiment  of  those  ele- 
ments of  personal  dignity  and  strength  which  com- 
mand their  respect  and  win  their  affection,  he  becomes 
one  more  demonstration  of  the  soundness  of  that 
tradition  which  places  the  Christian  ministry  pre- 
eminent among  all  professions  and  vocations. 

All  this  is  background  for  saying  that  in  the  preach- 
ing of  Edgar  DeWitt  Jones  the  central  secret  is  the 
preacher  himself.  Readers  of  these  sermons  who  do 
not  personally  know  Dr.  Jones  will  find  here  grace  and 
charm  of  expression,  vitality  of  conviction,  and  un- 
usual skill  in  homiletical  craftsmanship.    It  is  to  be 


AN  APPRECIATION 


iii 


hoped  that  even  such  readers  may  be  led  by  the  quali- 
ties of  the  sermons  to  draw  a  vague  mental  picture  of 
the  preacher  himself,  and  if  so,  they  are  sure  to  feel 
in  some  subtle  fashion  the  outflow  of  his  personal 
power.  But  those  readers  who  have  sat  under  the 
ministry  of  Dr.  Jones,  or  who  have  come  into  any 
degree  of  friendly  relationship  with  him,  will  approach 
these  chapters  in  quite  a  different  mood.  For  them 
his  published  sermon  will  not  be  just  a  deliverance: 
it  will  be  a  revelation — a  self-revelation  of  the  ideals 
and  convictions  of  a  personality  that  has  already  ar- 
rested their  interest  and  won  their  love.  The  sermon 
will  not  be  merely  a  piece  of  writing  to  be  judged 
by  its  intrinsic  argument  or  beauty ;  but  a  human  docu- 
ment, a  letter  from  a  friend  whose  utterances  we  hold 
as  true  not  so  much  because  he  proves  them  as  because 
fie  says  them. 

I  well  remember  my  first  personal  contact  with  Dr. 
Jones.  It  was  nearly  a  score  of  years  ago.  The  occa- 
sion was  a  gathering  of  ministers  at  which  Dr.  Jones 
read  a  paper.  He  made  upon  me  the  impression  of  a 
singularly  courtly  and  gentle  spirit.  His  unusually 
prepossessing  countenance  and  physique,  his  urbanity, 
his  graceful  speech,  his  genuine  consideration  of  the 
feelings  and  opinions  of  others  created  in  me  the  sense 
that  here  was  a  man  of  rare  inward  moral  dignity.  But 
from  my  detached  point  of  view  at  the  time  I  could 
not  help  wondering  whether  the  qualities  which 
charmed  us  all  might  not  represent  his  public  reaction 
to  high  professional  ideals  more  than  the  inherent 
character  of  his  private  self.  He  was  away  from  home 
at  the  time!    And  the  skeptic  in  me  suggested  that 


iv  AN  APPRECIATION 

perhaps  in  the  routine  of  daily  living,  among  people 
to  whom  his  affairs  were  an  open  book,  he  would  be 
found  acting  in  the  commonplace  role  of  the  rest  of  us, 
as  compared  to  that  in  which  he  had  exhibited  himself 
in  our  formal  meeting  and  friendly  intercourse. 

Since  that  first  meeting  I  have  seen  him  in  all  sorts 
of  situations.  I  have  seen  him  in  the  routine  of  his 
parish,  with  his  neighbors,  his  churchfolk,  his  family, 
and  in  the  seclusion  of  his  study,  and  I  am  bound 
to  say  that  I  have  never  seen  him  in  an  ungraceful 
role.  The  chivalrous  manner,  the  gentle,  considerate 
address,  the  deft  use  of  literary  lore,  the  habit  of 
carefully  formulating  his  ideas,  the  elegance  and  re- 
straint of  his  phrasing,  all  these  I  have  found  through 
many  years  of  a  friendship  based  upon  the  most  inti- 
mate contacts  to  be  part  of  the  very  grain  of  this 
rare  minister's  nature.  I  have  seen  him  at  play,  I 
have  seen  him  bearing  the  burden  of  great  personal 
sorrow,  I  have  seen  him  angry  with  a  godly  wrath, 
but  I  have  never  seen  him  in  a  weak  or  ungraceful 
posture.  I  shall  always  remember  the  impression  he 
made  upon  me  once  when  protesting  against  a  flagrant 
injustice.  He  voiced  his  emotion  in  measured  words 
the  last  of  which  proved  to  my  surprise  to  be  a  word 
not  wholly  disallowable  by  the  Christian  laity,  if  con- 
fined to  the  proper  occasion,  but  which  one  does  not 
expect  a  minister  to  pronounce.  There  was  a  certain 
majesty  about  his  explosion.  One  felt  the  very  rafters 
of  the  universe  shake.  Yet  the  protest  was  spoken 
gently,  quietly,  without  the  slightest  loss  of  poise  of 
soul.  I  think  that  episode  gave  me  a  new  sounding 
of  the  deeps  of  my  friend's  personality.    I  felt  his 


AN  APPRECIATION 


v 


self-control,  his  moral  power,  his  leonine  vigor  as  I 
had  never  had  occasion  to  do  before.  Once  I  called 
on  him  when  he  was  suffering  the  intense  pain  of 
illness.  I  could  myself  hardly  endure  the  sight  of  his 
anguish.  But  with  grim  humor  he  reminded  me  be- 
tween paroxysms  that  Ian  Maclaren  had  died  of  the 
thing  that  was  the  matter  with  him!  His  fineness  is 
instinctive.  Graciousness  is  either  native  to  him  or 
the  gift  of  Christ  in  a  thorough-going  conversion.  He 
does  not  merely  contemplate  truth  and  beauty  and 
strength,  and  admire  them  as  external  objects;  they 
are  part  of  himself,  organic  with  his  personality.  When 
such  a  man  preaches,  therefore,  he  speaks  more  than 
words — his  words  are  in  very  truth  spirit  and  life. 

It  is  as  a  conversationalist  that  I  could  wish  all 
readers  of  his  sermons  might  know  him,  as  well  as  a 
pulpiteer.  I  know  of  no  man  who  combines  more 
winsomely  the  ingredients  of  small  talk,  casual,  spon- 
taneous humor,  and  lofty  and  earnest  discourse  in  con- 
versation than  Dr.  Jones.  An  evening  with  him  leaves 
one's  mind  dripping  with  the  juices  of  literature,  of 
current  events,  of  whimsical  anecdote — the  juices,  too, 
of  one's  own  best  ideas !  For  he  is  not  that  kind  of 
conversationalist  who  does  all  the  conversing.  He 
makes  conversation  a  game  of  tennis  and  you  are  on 
your  mettle  to  return  the  ball.  Moreover  he  plays  the 
game  so  as  to  stimulate  your  best  thinking,  not  to  over- 
whelm you  by  his  own.  So  he  always  lets  you  go 
with  a  certain  inner  feeling  of  satisfaction  with  your- 
self, not  only  that  you  got  so  much  from  him,  but  that 
you  contributed  to  the  conversation  so  much  yourself, 
and  did  it  so  well ! 


vi 


AN  APPRECIATION 


As  a  preacher,  face  to  face  with  a  congregation, 
Dr.  Jones  impresses  you  as  putting  his  object  above  his 
subject.  He  has  practical  ends  in  view.  He  wants 
this  sermon  to  accomplish  some  specific  thing.  It 
is  not  on  the  level  of  mere  institutional  interest  that 
his  object  lies — far  from  that — but  in  the  realm  of 
human  life.  He  really  wants  to  bring  consolation 
to  the  bereaved,  courage  to  the  wavering,  hope  to  those 
whose  heart  is  the  home  of  shame.  I  imagine  that  he 
always  visualizes  some  particular  mother  or  youth  or 
business  man,  some  particular  sinner  or  mourner  or 
butterfly  of  fashion,  when  he  speaks  to  classes  of 
them.  His  subject  is  conscientiously  wrought  out, 
but  his  object  dominates  his  mind  both  in  the  prepara- 
tion and  delivery  of  his  sermon.  This  gives  point 
and  concreteness  to  his  message  which  much  thought- 
ful preaching  lacks. 

In  his  intellectual  interests  Dr.  Jones  is  one  of  the 
most  modern  of  the  moderns.  He  is  an  omnivorous 
reader.  He  puts  his  friends  to  shame  by  the  wide 
range  of  his  knowledge  of  contemporary  literature, 
both  magazine  and  book.  But  he  keeps  up  the  old 
tradition  of  literary  taste.  Throughout  the  war  when 
everybody's  ears  were  so  dinned  with  the  noise  of 
urgent  current  events  that  they  lost  interest  in  anything 
that  anybody  ever  said  before  1914,  this  man  would 
pass  from  his  morning  review  of  the  relative  positions 
of  the  armies  at  the  front  to  a  re-reading  of  Boswell  or 
Pepys !  He  kept  his  perspective.  He  could  not  aban- 
don the  old  books,  because  they  had  become  his  friends. 
He  had  not  simply  studied  them,  he  had  communed 
with  them,  and  he  has  cherished  them  through  these 


AN  APPRECIATION  vii 

years  of  truculent  contemporaneity  with  a  devotion 
second  only  to  that  which  he  has  given  his  friendships 
in  the  flesh.  I  do  not  think  the  range  and  depth 
of  Dr.  Jones'  intellectual  interests  are  in  any  adequate 
degree  indicated  in  this  volume  of  his  sermons,  in- 
spiring and  rich  with  suggestion  as  I  am  sure  every 
reader  will  find  the  book  to  be.  His  social  convictions 
are  only  suggested  here,  and  I  know  that  these  convic- 
tions are  well  seasoned  and  deep  set  in  his  soul.  He 
has  had  many  a  battle  with  himself  to  preach  this  social 
gospel  in  which  he  truly  believes.  Pastor  for  many 
years  of  many  men  of  wealth  who  rejoiced  in  the 
"comfortable"  evangelical  burden  of  his  ministry,  he 
has  faced  the  possibility  of  alienation  of  friendships  and 
serious  disturbance  of  the  congregational  life,  should 
he  adopt  a  harsh  presentation  of  these  social  demands 
of  Jesus  which  our  generation  feels  must  be  applied 
to  large  areas  of  life  unincluded  by  previous  genera- 
tions within  the  scope  of  Christian  ethics.  And  I  know 
of  nothing  in  which  the  pastor-heart  has  so  justified 
its  impulses  as  in  the  way  in  which  it  has  guided  the 
pulpit  voice  of  this  particular  pastor  in  his  utterance 
of  the  social  gospel.  By  instruction  most  deft  and 
delicate,  the  social  obligation  has  been  interpreted  in 
a  way  that  has  altogether  won  many,  and  those  whom 
it  has  not  fully  won  are  left  with  an  inner  divine  dis- 
content which  is  peculiarly  salutary. 

It  is  this  shepherd  instinct  that,  after  all,  is  the 
greatest  quality  in  Edgar  DeWitt  Jones.  He  loves 
people.  He  believes  in  them.  He  invests  even  the  un- 
worthiest  of  them  with  dignity.  And  in  the  spirit  of 
Jesus  he  delights  to  serve  them.    He  is  a  real  pastor. 


viii  AN  APPRECIATION 

He  knows  little  children  by  name,  and  they  cling  to 
him.  His  footsteps  are  acquainted  with  all  the  levels 
upon  which  human  life  holds  intercourse.  He  meets 
the  man  of  affairs  at  his  club  without  constraint,  and  he 
talks  to  the  dear  nobody  with  gentle  sincerity  and  with- 
out patronage.  The  best  thing  I  can  say  about  him  is 
that  I  should  like  him  to  be  my  own  pastor.  I  should 
like  to  have  him  as  a  counsellor  in  the  things  of  the 
spirit.  Just  to  know  that  he  knew  my  troubles  would 
help  me  bear  them,  quite  aside  from  any  prescription 
he  might  offer.  And  when  my  faith  was  baffled,  as 
alas,  it  often  is,  I  think  I  should  find  my  feet  again, 
partly  by  the  wisdom  of  his  instruction,  but  more  be- 
cause he  would  lead  me  by  the  attractions  of  his  fine 
spirit  to  the  rock  upon  which  his  own  faith  seems  so 
secure. 

C.  C.  M. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I     THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  1 3 

Study  of  an  Unconventional  Portrait  of  Jesus. 

II     WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  ...  29 
The  "Scarlet  Letter"  in  Our  Lord's  Time. 

III  THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  43 

A  Summit  View  from  the  Mont  Blanc  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures. 

IV  THREE  TIMES  A  DAY  57 

A  Plea  for  Fixed  Seasons  of  Private  Devotions. 

V     A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO  ...  69 
Some  Reflections  on  the  Marvel  of  the  Divine 
Pursuit 

VI     THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH  8l 

How  God  Schools  His  Prophets  and  Provides 
for  Their  Successors 

VII  HABAKKUK'S  HYMN  95 

A  Meditation  on  the  Winged  Words  of  an  Old 
Testament  Saint 

VIII  THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER  105 

An   Elementary  Lesson    in    the    Greatest  of 
Schools 

IX     THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  II9 

The  Deeper  Truth  Underlying  the  Vagaries  of 
Spiritualistic  Experiments 

X     GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES  .      .      .      .      1 35 
How  the  Divine  Spirit  Appraises  a  Christian 
Congregation 

ix 


X 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI     THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE  ......  I47 

A  Brief  for  the  Family  Altar 

XII     THE  LORD'S  LEADING  159 

A  Meditation  on  a  Memorable  Hymn 

XIII  THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GD7ES  1 73 

Why  Jesus'  Peace  Differs  from  the  World's 
Peace 

XIV  OTHER    SHEEP  185 

How  the  Good  Shepherd  Regards  the  Scattered 
Flock  of  God 

XV     WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP  ....  I99 
A  Never-To-Be-Forgotten  Day  in  the  Lives  of 
Four  Fishermen 

XVI     WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT?  .      .  211 
The  Ministry  of  the  Comforter  or  "God  in 
Action" 

XVII     THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  223 


A  Hymn  of  the  Nativity  Set  to  Music  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 


I 


THE  ORDER  OF  THE  TOWEL  AND  BASIN 
Study  of  an  Unconventional  Portrait  of  Jesus 


John  13:1-4. 


Now  before  the  feast  of  the  passover,  Jesus 
knowing  that  His  hour  was  come  that  He 
should  depart  out  of  this  world  unto  the 
Father,  having  loved  His  own  that  were  in 
the  world,  He  loved  them  unto  the  end.  And 
during  supper,  the  devil  having  already  put 
into  the  heart  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son, 
to  betray  him,  Jesus,  knowing  that  the  Father 
had  given  all  things  into  His  hands,  and  that 
He  came  forth  from  God,  and  goeth  unto  God, 
riseth  from  supper,  and  layeth  aside  H:s  gar- 
ments; and  He  took  a  towel,  and  girded  him- 
self. 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON 
THE  GROUND 

i 

THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN 

Some  years  ago  a  distinguished  American  educator 
was  the  guest  of  a  group  of  Chinese  pastors  and 
teachers  in  an  interior  town  of  that  young  Republic. 
In  the  course  of  the  conversation  he  was  amazed  to 
discover  how  familiar  his  hosts  were  with  the  Gospel 
narrative.  Nothing  seemed  to  have  escaped  their 
scrutiny,  and  their  knowledge  of  the  details  of  Jesus' 
life  fairly  startled  the  American.  Something  prompted 
him  to  ask  them  this  question :  ''What  incident  in  the 
life  of  Jesus  impressed  you  most?" 

Now  this  is  a  question  of  more  than  ordinary  sig- 
nificance. It  is  a  question  that  a  group  of  English  or 
American  pastors  and  teachers  might  ponder  with 
profit.  It  is  a  question  that  students  of  the  Gospels 
for  many  years,  and  those  familiar  with  the  New 
Testament  for  a  life  time,  ought  to  weigh  carefully 
before  answering.  It  is  not  a  question  to  be  answered 
offhand  or  glibly;  it  warrants  a  fresh  study  of  the 
records  and  possibly  extended  reflection.  Moreover 
13 


14   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

by  our  answer  to  this  query  it  is  possible,  at  least  par- 
tially, to  appraise  us  spiritually. 

The  Chinese  Christians  thoughtfully  considered  the 
American's  question.  After  a  long  pause, — so  long 
that  it  became  embarrassing, — the  oldest  of  the  group 
replied:  "His  washing  of  his  disciples'  feet."  A  con- 
sensus of  opinion  showed  that  the  other  Chinamen  were 
in  agreement  with  this  answer.  That  this  particular 
incident  should  have  impressed  the  Oriental  mind 
above  any  of  the  miracles  of  Jesus  is,  to  say  the  least, 
interesting.  That  a  great  teacher  should  take  the  place 
of  a  slave  and  perform  a  menial  service  seemed  more 
wonderful  to  that  company  of  new  converts  to  Chris- 
tianity than  Jesus'  stilling  of  the  storms  on  Galilee,  his 
healing  of  the  Gerasene  demoniac,  or  his  calling  Laza- 
rus back  to  life. 

Portraits  with  our  Lord  as  subject  are  numerous  in 
the  renowned  galleries  of  the  world.  In  Florence, 
alone,  there  are  more  than  fifteen  hundred  paintings 
with  Jesus  as  theme.  The  wondrous  tints  of  Del  Sarto, 
the  rich  coloring  of  Titian,  the  witchery  of  Raphael's 
skill,  the  exquisite  miniatures  of  Fra  Angelico  have 
helped  to  fix  forever  in  the  minds  of  the  people  those 
mountain  peaks  of  our  Lord's  career :  the  Nativity,  the 
Temptation,  the  Transfiguration  and  the  Crucifixion. 
It  is  difficult  to  think  of  Jesus  in  art  except  in  these 
crises  and  epochal  experiences  of  His  ministry.  One 
could  wish,  however,  that  a  more  unconventional  por- 
trait of  Jesus  were  known  in  every  land  where  the 
sun  shines — I  mean  this  portrait  of  Jesus  washing  His 
disciples'  feet. 

In  the  Church  of  the  Divine  Paternity,  New  York, 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  15 


where  the  gifted  J.  Fort  Newton  preaches,  there  is  such 
a  picture  done  in  mosaic  and  placed  above  the  com- 
munion table  in  the  Chancel.  On  the  left  is  the  figure 
of  John  in  an  attitude  of  devotion,  in  the  background 
Andrew  and  James  the  son  of  Zebedee.  Bartholomew 
and  Philip  are  seated  at  the  table.  Thaddeus  and  Mat- 
thew are  standing.  Thomas  and  Judas  seated.  Judas 
is  placed  in  the  foreground  balancing  Philip  on  the 
left.  In  the  center  Christ  is  shown  in  the  act  of  wash- 
ing the  feet  of  Simon  Peter.  The  coloring  scheme  is  so 
arranged  as  to  throw  the  central  figures  in  the  light  with 
darker  and  richer  shades  on  the  extreme  edges.  It  is  a 
beautiful  and  impressive  picture,  and  the  more  so  be- 
cause it  is  an  unconventional  portrait  of  Jesus,  one  that 
shows  Him  in  the  humblest  of  ministries.  In  fancy  we 
may  gaze  upon  this  rich  mosaic  as  we  reflect  upon  the 
meaning  of  the  deed  it  commemorates. 

I 

It  was  a  daring  act  of  Jesus,  this  washing  of  His 
disciples'  feet.  It  was  unexpected  and  altogether  con- 
trary to  the  rank  of  a  teacher  or  seer.  A  menial  service 
such  as  this  was  the  duty  of  a  slave,  and  in  the  absence 
of  a  servant  from  the  upper  room  each  of  the  disciples 
should  have  performed  the  act  for  the  other.  But  the 
minds  of  the  twelve  were  far  removed  from  so  lowly  a 
ministration;  therefore  Jesus  took  the  towel  and  the 
basin  and  began  to  bathe  the  dusty  feet  of  one  of  the 
twelve.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  any  other  teacher  of 
Jesus'  day  at  this  servant's  task.  By  no  leap  of  fancy 
can  one  think  of  the  great  Gamaliel  engaged  in  so  lowly 
an  occupation.    It  was  a  bold  and  daring  act  on  the 


16  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

part  of  Jesus,  and  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  ven- 
turesomeness  that  characterized  His  ministry  for  man- 
kind. It  was  this  quality — fearlessness  to  over-ride 
tradition  and  willingness  to  plough  straight  across  class 
distinction  in  order  to  serve  humanity — that  signalized 
the  ministry  of  our  Lord.  He  dined  freely  at  the  homes 
of  notorious  sinners,  and  the  despised  Publicans  were 
His  friends.  The  fact  that  the  woman  of  Sychar  had 
"a  past"  did  not  deter  Him  from  engaging  her  in  con- 
versation; if  anything,  it  increased  His  desire  to  help 
her  find  "the  way  home."  It  was  this  quality  of  cour- 
age to  brave  custom  and  challenge  traditions  that  made 
the  early  church  so  unconquerably  persistent.  Those 
early  disciples  of  Jesus  hazarded  everything  for  the 
sake  of  a  great  cause.  They  jeopardized  comfort,  posi- 
tion, family  ties,  even  life  itself,  with  magnificent  aban- 
don. "Safety  last"  was  the  motto  of  the  men  and  wo- 
men who  established  the  Brotherhood  of  Christ  in  a 
thousand  fields  where  darkness  reigned.  Modern 
Christianity  sorely  needs  this  venturesomeness ;  this 
dauntless  spirit  that  laughs  at  difficulties ;  balks  at  noth- 
ing; welcomes  opposition;  and  marches  straight  into 
peril  unafraid.  In  truth,  there  can  be  no  real  mission- 
ary passion  without  this  divine  recklessness  as  to  what 
happens  to  oneself.  There  is  no  place  where  a  Chris- 
tian cannot  go  when  his  purpose  is  good  and  the  oc- 
casion warrants  his  going. 

There  is  a  widely  known  and  successful  minister  in 
Baltimore,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  who  is  the  most  cour- 
teous and  delightful  of  men.  There  is  something  al- 
most womanly  in  his  gentle  ways  and  kindly  address. 
But  withal  there  is  a  daringness  in  his  faith  and  a  cer- 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  17 


tain  boldness  of  spirit.  In  witness  of  this,  an  incident 
of  his  ministry  is  recalled.  For  several  Sundays  in 
succession  this  able  preacher  had  observed  a  stranger 
in  his  audience  and  one  who  seemed  to  be  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  service.  He  made  several  attempts  to 
see  this  stranger  at  the  close  of  the  service,  but  un- 
successfully. No  sooner  was  the  benediction  pro- 
nounced than  the  man  hurried  out  of  the  church.  Af- 
ter a  good  deal  of  difficulty  he  discovered  that  this  man 
was  the  proprietor  of  a  drinking  place  and  also  his 
place  of  business.  One  afternoon  the  minister  passed 
through  the  swinging  doors  of  the  saloon  and,  seeing 
the  owner  behind  the  bar,  he  went  over  to  him  and 
shook  hands  with  him.  The  man  was  much  confused 
and  greatly  embarrassed.    "I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Dr. 

A  but  not  in  this  place.    I  would  like  to  have 

you  come  to  see  me  at  my  home."  "My  friend,"  replied 
the  minister,  "if  this  place  is  good  enough  for  you  to 
do  business  in,  it  is  good  enough  for  me  to  come  to 
see  you  in."  This  was  unanswerable,  so  the  proprietor 
removed  his  white  apron,  came  from  behind  the  bar, 
and  with  his  guest  sat  down  at  one  of  the  tables  in  the 
midst  of  men  who  were  drinking,  laughing,  and  telling 
ribald  stories.  From  that  visit  and  conversation  there 
came  about  the  conversion  of  that  man  to  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  his  giving  up  the  liquor  business,  and  the 
consequent  regeneration  of  his  life.  Oh,  for  a  daring 
ministry,  a  dauntless  discipleship  of  Jesus,  an  unbeat- 
able Church ! 

Yes,  when  Jesus  took  the  towel  and  the  basin  and 
proceeded  to  wash  the  feet  of  His  disciples  there  was 
daring  and  audacity  in  the  act.    Christianity  can  never 


18    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


amount  to  much  in  any  community  where  its  adherents 
are  slow  to  go  into  the  midst  of  sin  and  misery,  fearful 
lest  thereby  they  lose  their  religion.  Those  who  possess 
that  spirit  have  little  religion  to  lose  and  certainly  none 
to  impart.  The  great  sore  spots  of  the  world  cannot  be 
cured  by  absent  treatment.  The  last  time  that  General 
William  Booth  visited  America,  he  told  how  he  came  to 
organize  the  Salvation  Army.  He  went  over  on  the 
east  side  of  London  and  there  he  saw  the  vice,  the 
crime,  and  the  suffering  of  the  people.  "I  hungered  for 
hell,"  he  said;  "for  days  I  stood  in  the  seething  streets, 
drinking  it  in  and  loving  it  all.  Yes,  I  loved  the  souls 
that  made  up  the  muddy  stream."  That  phrase  "hun- 
gering for  hell"  is  drastic,  but  not  too  drastic.  It  is 
better  to  "hunger  for  hell"  in  the  sense  that  Booth  used 
the  term  than  it  is  to  "hunger  for  heaven"  in  that  selfish 
sense  of  desiring  to  attain  unto  bliss,  and  in  so  doing 
abandon  the  sin-cursed  multitudes  to  their  fate. 

ii 

Jesus  washed  His  disciples'  feet  and  in  that  act  He 
rebuked  their  selfish  neglect  and  unlovely  controversy 
far  more  effectively  than  the  most  scathing  words 
could  have  done.  Canon  Farrar  thinks  that  as  the  di- 
sciples were  seating  themselves  at  the  table  the  contro- 
versy arose  over  the  seat  of  honor  which  each  wanted 
for  himself.  This  may  have  been  the  case.  It  is  in 
Luke  22  :24~30  where  we  learn  that  the  discussion  took 
the  form  of  an  argument  as  to  who  should  be  the 
greatest  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Luke  says  there 
was  a  "contention"  among  them.  Thus  in  the  disciples' 
contention  for  place,  rank,  power,  and  authority,  the 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  19 


humble  preparation  for  the  meal — the  washing  of  their 
travel-stained  feet — was  ignored  or  forgotten.  Be- 
sides, such  was  a  servant's  task,  and  not  one  of  the 
twelve  was  minded  to  take  the  towel  and  the  basin  and 
do  this  lowly  service,  each  for  the  other.  Jesus  took 
in  the  situation  at  a  glance.  He  saw  the  mood  of  the 
disciples;  the  contention  had  inflamed  them.  They 
were  angry  and  filled  with  pride,  and  possibly  envy. 
They  were  thinking  of  scepters,  of  thrones,  and  crowns; 
they  were  high-minded  and  haughty  of  heart.  He 
might  have  rebuked  them  sternly,  even  sarcastically, 
if  indeed  our  Lord  ever  spoke  on  that  wise.  But  He 
said  not  a  word.  Instead  He  took  a  towel,  twisted  it 
about  his  waist  like  a  girdle ;  then  a  basin,  poured  water 
in  it,  and  kneeling  down  began  to  wash  the  feet  of  a 
guest.  Those  who  saw  the  "Passion  Play"  in  1910  will 
never  forget  the  exceeding  great  tenderness  of  the 
scene  when  Anton  Lang,  as  Jesus,  knelt  at  the  feet  of 
Johan  Zwink,  who  impersonated  Judas  Iscariot,  and 
began  to  wash  his  feet.  It  was  more  memorable  than 
the  famous  trial  or  crucifixion  scenes.  It  moved  the 
spectators  to  tears. 

Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas ! 
And  thus  a  girded  servant,  self -abased, 
Taught  that  no  wrong  this  side  the  gate  of  heaven 
Was  e'er  too  great  to  wholly  be  effaced 
And  thus  unasked,  in  spirit  be  forgiven. 

"Jesus  knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  all  things 
into  His  hands,  and  that  He  came  forth  from  God,  and 
goeth  unto  God,  riseth  from  supper,  and  layeth  aside 
His  garments;  He  took  a  towel,  and  girded  Himself." 
Here  is  a  new  idea  of  Godlikeness,  a  new  conception 


20   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


of  Divinity.  And  that  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father 
should  thus  take  upon  himself  the  service  of  a  menial, 
and  with  such  winsomenese  withal,  is  too  wonderful  for 
us  to  comprehend.  And  yet,  since  God  is  Love  how 
could  it  be  otherwise. 

In  that  act  of  washing  the  disciples'  feet  Jesus  washed 
more  than  the  soil  from  off  their  flesh.  What  He  did  to 
their  hearts  was  greater  than  what  He  did  for  their 
bodies.  By  that  act  He  washed  away  envy  and  sordid 
ambition,  jealousy  and  foolish  pride,  from  the  hearts 
of  the  eleven.  Even  Judas  could  never  be  the  same 
man  again  after  the  Master  had  thus  washed  his  feet. 
Who  knows  how  closely  related  was  Judas'  recollection 
of  this  ineffable  act  and  his  flinging  the  blood  money 
at  the  feet  of  the  priests  crying:  "I  have  sinned  in 
that  I  have  shed  innocent  blood."  Love  is  never  so 
powerful  as  when  it  glows  in  acts,  when  it  pulsates 
deeds.  Example  is  as  much  better  than  precept  as  is 
character  than  ceremony.  Men  have  a  habit  of  forget- 
ting what  we  say  in  supreme  moments  but  they  never 
forget  what  we  do  in  hour  of  crisis.  What  is  there  so 
great  and  so  melting  as  sacrificial  love?  To  what  un- 
expected ends  and  to  what  renunciations  will  such 
love  go. 

I  recall  an  incident,  an  unconventional  episode,  one 
too  in  which  a  minister  was  the  central  figure,  a  man 
justly  famed  for  his  singularly  upright  and  beautiful 
life;  the  most  fully  orbed  minister  of  Christ's  Gospel  it 
has  been  my  good  fortune  to  know.  This  man  has  a 
dislike  for  tobacco  that  amounts  almost  to  antipathy. 
He  deplores  its  use  in  any  form  and  particularly  abhors 
a  pipe.    It  came  about  that  his  only  son  early  took  to 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  21 


smoking  and  by  a  strange  irony  he  chanced  to  prefer  a 
pipe  most  of  all.  The  great-hearted  father  was  pained 
and  disappointed,  but  he  took,  as  was  his  wont,  the 
larger  view,  going  so  far  as  to  tell  the  youth  that  if  he 
was  determined  to  smoke  it  was  unnecessary  for  him 
to  go  away  from  the  house  to  indulge  the  habit.  Some 
months  later,  possibly  a  year,  this  minister  consulted 
his  daughter,  who  was  also  the  keeper  of  his  home, 
as  to  what  practical  Christmas  gift  she  thought  he 
should  purchase  for  her  brother,  something  too  that 
he  would  especially  prize.  The  young  woman  an- 
swered immediately  and  definitely,  "Get  him  a  pipe, 
father,  he  needs  a  new  one."  The  minister  showed  the 
surprise  he  felt.  "But  you  would  scarcely  expect  me  to 
do  that,  daughter,"  he  replied.  "Father,  you  asked  me 
what  practical  gift  brother  would  appreciate,  and  I  an- 
swered you  accordingly.  He  certainly  needs  a  new 
pipe."  The  father  made  no  further  reply  but  into  his 
calm,  strong  face  there  came  a  look  that  only  love 
can  impart.  Christmas  morning  in  the  minister's  home 
the  gifts  were  distributed,  after  the  family's  custom. 
The  father  handed  his  son  a  package.  The  lad  un- 
wrapped it,  never  suspecting  what  the  gift  might  be. 
When  he  saw  what  it  was  he  looked  at  his  father,  then 
at  the  pipe,  then  back  again  at  his  father,  and  as  he 
saw  the  love  light  shining  in  those  dear  eyes  and  light- 
ing up  the  strong  face,  the  boy  understood.  He  dropped 
the  pipe  and  sprang  to  his  father's  side,  threw  his 
arms  around  him,  and,  laying  his  head  on  his  father's 
shoulder,  burst  into  tears!  Oh,  the  power,  the  glory, 
the  wonder  of  the  ministry  of  the  towel  and  the  basin ! 


22   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


in 

Jesus'  lowly  act  in  the  upper  room  was  a  token,  a 
sign  for  all  who  would  be  like  Him.  "A  servant,"  He 
said,  "is  not  greater  than  his  Lord;  neither  one  that 
is  sent  than  He  that  sent  him.  I  have  given  you  an 
example  that  ye  also  should  do  as  I  have  done  unto 
you."  In  so  saying,  Jesus  did  not  institute  an  ordi- 
nance to  be  perpetuated  by  the  ceremonial  washing  of 
His  disciples'  feet;  He  performed  a  necessary  service, 
lowly  and  menial  only  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  thought 
so.  The  lesson  here  is  that  no  position  in  life,  no 
rank  or  wealth  absolves  a  follower  of  Jesus  from  a 
similar  service.  Jesus  taught  by  this  significant  inci- 
dent that  the  giving  of  a  cup  of  cold  water,  the  assist- 
ing of  a  decrepit  man,  an  aged  woman,  or  an  affrighted 
little  child  across  a  crowded  street;  a  word  of  encour- 
agement, a  letter  of  comfort,  counsel,  or  congratulation ; 
a  cheerful,  happy  smile,  a  simple  "thank  you"  for  the 
slightest  service  rendered  is  the  privilege  of  us  all  and 
becomes  the  mighty  and  the  famous  as  well  as  the 
obscure  and  the  unknown. 

I  number  among  my  friends  a  man  who  knew  inti- 
mately David  Swing.  He  has  told  me  many  things 
about  that  great  preacher  whose  influence  still  lives, 
the  most  interesting  being  an  incident  of  the  great 
Chicago  fire.  He  described  for  me  the  famous  preacher 
in  the  midst  of  a  mass  of  humanity,  fleeing  from  the 
burning  district.  The  refugees  were  carrying  house- 
hold articles  and  personal  belongings  of  almost  every 
description  and  kind — bedding,  clothing,  books,  dishes 
and  all  sorts  of  odd  keepsakes.    A  little  girl  had 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN  23 


brought  her  pet  bird.  She  carried  the  cage  with  diffi- 
culty and  the  crowd  jostled  her  roughly.  By  and  by 
the  crowd  became  so  great  and  the  pressure  so  strong 
that  the  little  girl  began  to  cry  for  the  safety  of  her 
pet.  Dr.  Swing  heard  the  sobbing,  saw  the  child's 
plight,  and  came  at  once  to  her  aid.  He  clasped  the 
little  girl's  hand  in  one  of  his  own  and  with  the  other 
lifted  high  the  bird  cage  above  the  heads  of  the  people. 
Thus  the  great  preacher  and  the  little  girl  went  their 
way  through  the  vast  crowd  that  awful  night,  and  the 
troubled  heart  of  the  child  was  comforted  and  con- 
tented. 

It  was  after  the  washing  of  His  disciples'  feet  that 
Jesus  said,  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you, 
that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you  that 
ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know 
that  ye  are  My  disciples  if  ye  have  love  one  for  an- 
other." This,  then,  is  the  badge  of  discipleship;  this 
symbol  of  the  towel  and  basin;  this  manifestation  of 
love  in  deed;  by  this  sign  of  the  towel  and  basin  does 
Christianity  conquer.  This,  my  brethren  of  the  min- 
istry, is  the  order  for  us,  not  the  order  of  the  book 
and  pen,  alluring  though  that  ministry  may  be;  nor 
the  order  of  the  office  and  executive  staff,  efficient  as 
that  kind  of  service  often  is,  but  the  order  of  the  towel 
and  the  basin — this  is  the  order  for  all  who  would 
follow  Jesus  Christ. 

Forty  years  ago  Bismarck  said  that  in  order  to 
mold  the  nation  it  was  necessary  to  mold  the  child. 
That  is  precisely  what  Germany  did  and  with  char- 
acteristic thoroughness.  It  is  not  difficult  to  account 
for  the  unity  and  solidarity  of  the  German  people. 


24   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

German  statesmen,  schoolmasters,  preachers,  and  par- 
ents combined  to  Prussianize  the  children  of  the 
Empire.  The  ideal  they  conspired  to  keep  before  the 
child  in  the  home,  school,  and  church  is  seen  in  this 
excerpt  from  the  writings  of  a  distinguished  Prussian  : 
"When  our  young  children  have  scarce  learned  to 
fold  their  little  hands  before  God,  we  set  a  picture  be- 
fore them;  we  tell  them  to  recognize  the  noblest  fea- 
tures; we  tell  them,  'This  is  our  good  King.'  Our 
young  men,  when  they  are  of  age  to  bear  arms,  look 
with  joy  and  pride  on  the  trim  garb  of  war  and  say,  'I 
go  in  the  king's  coat.'  And  when  the  nation  assembles 
to  a  common  political  celebration  the  occasion  is  no 
feast  of  the  constitution,  no  day  of  the  Bastille,  no 
Panathenaic  festival.  It  is  then  that  we  bow  in  rever- 
ence and  loyalty  before  him  who  has  allowed  us  to  see 
with  our  own  eyes  that  for  which  our  fathers  dreamed 
and  yearned,  before  him  who  ever  extends  the  bounds 
of  the  kingdom  in  freedom,  prosperity,  and  righteous- 
ness; before  his  majesty,  the  emperor  and  king." 

What  is  it  that  society  most  needs  at  this  hour? 
Surely  the  world  is  sick  and  civilization  is  stricken  with 
a  deadly  malady.  Numerous  indeed  are  the  remedies 
that  are  suggested.  Some  say  a  revival  of  conscience, 
of  common  honesty,  of  simple  truthfulness  is  impera- 
tive; others  clamor  for  a  new  economic  order,  an  in- 
ternational comity,  a  world  sense  of  social  justice;  still 
others  contend  that  ajl  is  hopeless  until  there  be  a 
new  evaluation  of  spiritual  verities.  But  one  distin- 
guished American  when  asked  by  a  friend  this  question, 
startled  him  with  the  reply  that  the  country's  greatest 


THE  TOWEL  AND  THE  BASIN 


25 


need  is  an  Emperor.  Then  he  added,  "And  that 
Emperor's  name  is  Jesus  Christ." 

Behold  our  Emperor!  Behold  Him  girded  with  a 
towel,  and  kneeling  as  He  washes  His  disciples'  feet. 
Behold  Him  there  in  the  upper  room !  No  warlike  ap- 
parel, no  breast  emblazoned  with  decorations  and  in- 
signia, no  sword  in  His  hand  or  at  His  side.  Behold 
Him  the  mightiest  of  the  holy  and  the  holiest  of  the 
mighty,  teaching  the  supremacy  of  service,  the  holiness 
of  ministration,  the  Godlikeness  of  love !  Behold  Him, 
believe  Him,  and  follow  Him,  O  members  of  the  order 
of  the  Towel  and  Basin! 


II 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  OX  THE  GROUND 

"The  Scarlet  Letter"  in  our  Lord's  Time.    An  Ex- 
position of  John  8  : i - 1 1 


John  8:1-11. 

[But  Jesus  went  unto  the  mount  of  Olives. 
And  early  in  the  morning  He  came  again  into 
the  temple,  and  all  the  people  came  unto  Him; 
and  He  sat  down,  and  taught  them.  And  the 
scribes  and  the  Pharisees  bring  a  woman  taken 
in  adultery;  and  having  set  her  in  the  midst, 
they  say  unto  Him,  Teacher,  this  woman  hath 
been  taken  in  adultery,  in  the  very  act.  Now 
in  the  law  Moses  commanded  us  to  stone  such : 
what  then  sayest  thou  of  her  ?  And  this  they 
said,  trying  Him,  that  they  might  have 
whereof  to  accuse  Him.  But  Jesus  stooped 
down,  and  with  his  finger  wrote  on  the 
ground.  But  when  they  continued  asking 
Him,  He  lifted  up  Himself,  and  said  unto 
them,  He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let 
him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her.  And  again  He 
stooped  down,  and  with  His  finger  wrote  on 
the  ground.  And  they,  when  they  heard  it, 
went  out  one  by  one,  beginning  from  the  eld- 
est, even  unto  the  last:  and  Jesus  lifted  up 
Himself,  and  said  unto  her,  Woman,  where 
are  they?  Did  no  man  condemn  thee?  And 
she  said,  No  man,  Lord.  And  Jesus  said, 
Neither  do  I  condemn  thee :  go  thy  way ;  from 
henceforth  sin  no  more.] 


II 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

There  is  a  curious  fact  in  connection  with  this  pas- 
sage of  Scripture.  In  the  Revised  Version,  the  eleven 
verses  together  with  the  last  verse  of  the  preceding 
chapter  are  set  off  by  themselves  and  bracketed.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  page  is  a  notation  which  reads, 
"Most  of  the  ancient  authorities  omit  John  7 :53,  8  :i- 
11.  Those  which  contain  it  vary  much  from  each 
other."  What  does  this  mean?  It  means  that  this 
particular  Scripture  is  not  a  part  of  the  original  manu- 
script of  John's  Gospel.  It  signifies,  not  that  the  inci- 
dent is  unauthentic,  but  that  it  is  not  entitled  to  a  place 
in  this  particular  book  or  gospel  without  explanation. 
Even  a  casual  student  of  the  Scriptures  will  observe 
that  the  incident  has  little  or  no  connection  with  what 
goes  before  or  comes  after;  that  it  breaks  in  unex- 
pectedly upon  John's  quiet  discursive  narrative.  It  is 
an  interloper,  so  to  speak,  and  properly  belongs  set  off 
and  bracketed,  by  itself. 

The  interesting  question  is,  how  does  an  interpola- 
tion of  this  kind  come  about.  It  is  not  an  isolated  in- 
stance, but  one  of  two  or  three.  The  sixteenth  chapter 
of  Mark,  from  the  ninth  to  the  nineteenth  verses,  is  of 
a  similar  character;  that  is,  it  does  not  belong  to  the 
original  Gospel  of  Mark.  The  explanation  is  simple. 
29 


30    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

There  is  recorded  in  the  four  Gospels  only  a  small  por- 
tion of  what  Jesus  said  and  did.  John  himself  says  in 
the  last  verse  of  his  Gospel,  "There  are  also  many  other 
things  which  Jesus  did,  the  which  if  they  should  be 
written  every  one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world  itself 
would  not  contain  the  books  that  should  be  written." 
This  is,  of  course,  a  dramatic  and  emphatic  way  of  say- 
ing that  only  a  few  of  the  incidents  in  the  life  of  Jesus 
have  been  preserved  in  the  sacred  writings.  Before 
these  records  were  written  down  in  the  form  that  we 
now  have  them,  they  were  committed  to  memory  and 
passed  on  from  person  to  person  orally.  It  must  be 
true  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case  that  we  have  only 
fragments  of  Jesus'  teaching,  although  they  are  suffi- 
cient for  their  purpose.  It  would  not  be  at  all  sur- 
prising, however,  now  that  the  Turk  has  been  driven 
out  of  Palestine,  that  excavations  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jerusalem  should  reveal  additional  manuscripts  of  say- 
ings and  events  in  His  life,  and  possibly  epistles  of 
Paul. 

With  these  facts  in  mind  we  are  in  a  position  to  un- 
derstand why  this  memorable  incident  is  bracketed 
and  set  apart  in  the  Revised  Version  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. To  summarize:  it  does  not  belong  properly  to 
John's  Gospel,  but  the  truth  of  the  incident  is  not  at  all 
questioned.  Indeed  the  episode  bears  upon  its  face  the 
credentials  of  fact.  It  paints  a  portrait  of  Jesus,  in 
perfect  keeping  with  the  record  of  His  life  in  the  Gos- 
pels, in  the  midst  of  a  very  unusual  and  trying  situation. 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  31 


The  incident  evidently  occurred  at  that  period  in 
Jesus'  ministry  when  His  popularity  with  the  masses 
had  intensified  the  hatred  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
against  Him.  Moreover  His  denunciation  of  many  of 
the  religious  leaders  of  His  day  as  "Blind  guides," 
"Hypocrites,"  "Whited  sepulchers,"  had  fed  their 
wrath  to  a  white  heat.  Thus  while  He  is  teaching  in 
the  Temple  the  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  bring  a 
woman  before  Him,  and  charge  her  with  having  broken 
the  seventh  commandment.  They  testify  against  her 
and  aver  that  beyond  any  doubt  she  is  guilty.  They 
cite  with  unction  the  Law  of  Moses,  which  commanded 
such  a  transgressor  to  be  stoned,  and  submit  the  case 
to  Jesus  with  the  query,  "What  then  sayest  Thou  of 
her?" 

Now  the  purpose  of  this  most  unusual  occurrence  is 
indicated  in  the  sixth  verse,  "That  they  might  have 
whereof  to  accuse  Him."  They  did  not  bring  the 
woman  to  Jesus  because  they  were  deeply  grieved  or 
shocked  at  her  conduct.  They  were  not  interested  in 
the  morals  of  Jerusalem  particularly.  They  brought 
her  that  they  might  confuse  and  entrap  Jesus.  There 
is  something  diabolical  in  such  a  purpose,  and  the 
method  the  enemies  of  Jesus  resorted  to  in  this  instance 
to  carry  it  out.  To  come  bringing  this  woman  into  the 
presence  of  Jesus  with  such  a  charge  reveals  a  hardness 
of  heart  that  is  almost  incredible.  The  wily  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  tried  upon  numerous  occasions  to  entrap 
Jesus  in  His  talk,  but  in  no  other  record  of  their  malig- 
nant trickery  is  there  such  a  vehicle  employed  as  in  this 


32   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


incident.  They  simply  took  advantage  of  the  guilt  of 
this  woman  to  further  their  own  evil  designs  against 
Jesus.  They  reasoned  that  He  would  be  disconcerted, 
to  say  the  least.  They  believed  they  had  Him  between 
the  horns  of  a  dilemma,  and  that  they  had  Him  fast. 
If  He  said  "let  the  woman  die  in  accordance  with  the 
Law  of  Moses,"  they  could  frame  an  accusation  against 
Him  before  Pilate,  that  this  new  King  or  religious 
teacher  was  actually  presuming  to  judge  cases  involving 
life  and  death.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  He  bade  them  to 
let  the  woman  go,  they  could  charge  Him  with  heretical 
teaching,  and  brand  Him  as  a  traverser  of  the  Law  of 
Moses.  We  may  believe  that  they  fairly  chortled  in 
their  malicious  glee. 

The  scene  was  one  of  shameful  depravity,  a  strange 
commingling  of  indelicacy  and  brazen  effrontery.  Be- 
hold that  strange  court!  There  is  the  calm  and  pure- 
hearted,  clear-eyed  Christ;  there  the  company  of 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  self-righteous,  hating  the  Gali- 
lean teacher,  congratulating  themselves  that  they  have 
caught  Him  at  last  in  the  snare  from  which  He  cannot 
escape;  and  there  in  the  midst  is  the  pitiful  spectacle  of 
the  woman  charged  with  the  transgression  of  the  Law. 
The  poor  woman  shrinks  from  such  cruel  and  uncalled- 
for  public  arraignment,  knowing  full  well  that  her 
accusers  have  not  haled  her  before  this  Teacher  be- 
cause they  are  shocked  by  her  guilt  or  interested  in  the 
morals  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  a  most  unlovely  scene.  No 
wonder  few  sermons  are  preached  upon  this  incident, 
or  that  commentaries  touch  lightly  upon  this  fragment 
appended  to  John's  Gospel. 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  33 


n 

It  is  difficult  to  portray  what  must  have  been  the 
feelings  of  Jesus,  but  there  is  a  wealth  of  suggestion 
as  shown  by  His  actions  that  followed  this  unseemly 
act.  Jesus  stooped  down  and  wrote  with  His  finger 
on  the  ground.  The  very  act  is  significant  and  is  one 
of  those  little  human  touches  which  bring  Jesus  close 
to  us.  For  instance,  a  friend  engages  you  in  conver- 
sation at  a  street  corner.  The  talk  takes  a  personal 
turn,  and  as  you  listen  you  draw  lines  or  figures  in  the 
dust  of  the  street  with  the  toe  of  your  shoe,  your  cane 
or  umbrella.  Or  again,  you  are  talking  over  the  tele- 
phone, and  the  while  you  draw  pictures  or  make  fig- 
ures on  a  piece  of  paper,  or  scribble  on  the  cover  of 
the  telephone  directory.  This  is  characteristic  of  hu- 
man nature;  it  is  sometimes  a  token  of  emotion  or 
confusion,  oftener  a  mere  diversion.  In  Jesus'  case, 
however,  it  indicated  something  more  than  embarrass- 
ment and  something  less  than  confusion.  The  sheer 
coarseness  of  the  thing,  the  indelicacy  of  the  act  on 
the  part  of  the  woman's  accusers  of  bringing  her  before 
Him;  their  malignant  desire  to  entrap  Him — all  this 
reacted  upon  the  keen  mind  and  pure  heart  of  Jesus 
in  such  a  way  that  He  did  not  care  to  look  upon  the 
guilty  woman,  nor  meet  the  impudent  stare  of  her  hard- 
hearted accusers.  Therefore,  He  stooped  down  and 
wrote  on  the  ground. 

The  accusers  of  the  woman  mistook  the  action  of 
Jesus.  They  thought  they  saw  in  His  averted  face 
and  His  writing  upon  the  ground  confusion  and  deep 
embarrassment.   They  assumed  He  did  not  know  how 


34    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


to  answer  them.  Therefore,  they  pressed  Him  the 
more  for  an  answer.  Alas !  for  them,  they  got  an  an- 
swer they  little  expected.  Jesus  lifted  Himself  up  and 
said  unto  them,  "He  that  is  without  sin  among  you 
let  him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her."  Then  He  stooped 
down  and  with  His  finger  again  wrote  on  the  ground. 
That  was  a  surprise  to  the  group  of  Scribes  and 
Pharisees.  They  never  surmised  such  an  answer  as 
that.  Instantly  each  man  was  compelled  to  sit  in  judg- 
ment upon  himself.  Immediately  after  Jesus'  answer, 
not  only  the  accused  but  the  accusers  were  on  trial.  In 
this  connection  there  is  a  most  interesting  flashlight 
upon  this  entire  passage  of  Scripture.  The  notation  in 
the  Revised  Version  informs  us  that  this  incident  varies 
much  in  the  various  manuscripts  where  it  is  found.  In 
one  of  the  manuscripts  there  is  a  startling  difference  in 
the  eighth  verse.  The  sentence  is  made  to  say,  "He 
wrote  upon  the  ground  the  sins  of  each  single  one  of 
them,"  and  the  ninth  verse,  "And  they  when  they  read 
it,  went  out  one  by  one,  beginning  from  the  eldest 
even  unto  the  last."  This  gives  an  extra  dramatic 
setting  to  Jesus'  answer  and  the  writing  on  the  ground. 

Imagine  the  scene  according  to  this  reading.  The 
Pharisees  bring  in  the  woman,  they  make  their  charge. 
Jesus,  affecting  not  to  hear  them,  writes  on  the  ground 
They  continue  to  badger  Him  until  He  looks  up  and 
says,  "He  that  is  without  sin  among  you  let  him  first 
cast  a  stone  at  her."  Then  again  he  stoops  down  and 
writes  upon  the  ground.  What  is  He  writing  there? 
The  foremost  Pharisee  is,  of  course,  the  oldest,  for 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  Orient  the  oldest  in  the 
company  is  at  the  front.  This  old  Pharisee  looks  down 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  35 

on  the  ground  where  Jesus  is  writing,  and  there  he 
sees  that  Jesus  has  just  written  the  record  of  a  great 
sin  that  he  has  committed,  and  which  he  thinks  is 
known  to  no  one  but  himself.  His  conscience  awakes 
with  a  flash.  He  turns  swiftly  and  edges  away  from 
the  crowd.  Jesus  has  swept  His  hand  across  the  ground 
to  smooth  it  over  and  writes  again.  The  next  Pharisee 
reads  and  recognizes  a  hidden  scene  in  his  life,  and  he 
too,  flees,  and  thus  it  goes  on  until  all  the  accusers  one 
by  one,  having  seen  written  on  the  ground  their  own 
secret  sin,  depart  silently  and  swiftly,  leaving  the 
woman  alone  with  Jesus. 

This  version  of  the  memorable  incident  may  not  be 
the  correct  one,  but  it  is  interesting  and  precisely  to 
the  point.  Whether  or  not  Jesus  actually  wrote  on  the 
ground  the  specific  sin  of  each  man,  His  very  act  of 
silence  and  of  eloquent  indictment  sent  a  chill  of  self- 
judgment  to  every  man's  soul.  What !  only  those  with- 
out sin  cast  a  stone  at  this  sinful  woman.  It  was  an 
embarrassing  answer.  It  went  straight  home.  Not  a 
man  could  meet  the  test.  They  went  out  from  the  eldest 
to  the  youngest,  having  adjudged  themselves  to  be 
guilty.  There  is  a  far-reaching  rebuke  and  warning 
in  the  answer  of  Jesus  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
Nothing  is  easier  than  the  picking  out  of  a  person  who 
has  committed  a  notorious  sin  and  in  self-righteous 
pride  pointing  the  finger  of  scorn  at  the  poor  unfortu- 
nate. It  has  been  one  of  the  travesties  of  justice  that 
individuals  have  been  made  to  suffer  for  crimes, 
while  communities  that  were  particeps  criminis  have 
gone  scot-free.  Every  wrong  that  is  committed  by  an 
individual  has  in  one  way  or  another  a  rootage  in  the 


36    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


wrong  of  a  community.  We  are  under  obligation  to 
revise  our  methods  of  dealing  with  sin  and  transgres- 
sion of  the  moral  law.  As  members  of  society  we  are 
in  part  to  blame.  Each  one  of  us  has  a  share  in  the 
crime  of  poverty,  drunkenness,  and  the  long  list  of  sins. 
Not  each  one  of  us  is  individually  guilty,  but  we  are  a 
part  of  an  order  of  society  that  has  produced  and  some- 
times fostered  these  delinquencies. 

in 

The  accusers  one  by  one  go  away  and  Jesus  is  left 
alone  with  the  accused.  Again  it  is  not  difficult  to 
imagine  the  scene.  There  is  Jesus  with  His  stainless 
life,  His  pure  heart  and  clean  mind;  and  there  before 
Him  is  the  woman  who  feels  in  her  soul  the  search- 
ing purity  of  the  Teacher  to  whom  she  has  been 
brought.  She  makes  bold  to  look  in  His  eyes  and 
upon  His  face,  and  in  the  presence  of  such  wholeness 
of  character,  she  sees  her  own  life,  and  away  deep 
down  chords  begin  to  vibrate  that  have  been  silent 
for  years.  What  will  Jesus  do  with  the  woman  ?  Will 
He  rebuke  her?  Will  He  deal  with  her  as  He  did  with 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees?  Never.  He  lifted  Himself 
up  and  said  unto  her,  "Woman,  where  are  they?  Did 
no  man  condemn  thee?"  And  she  said,  "No  man, 
Lord."  And  Jesus  said,  "Neither  do  I  condemn  thee; 
go  thy  way,  from  henceforth  sin  no  more."  Jesus  saw 
that  this  woman  was  self-condemned,  and  out  of  peni- 
tence there  comes  always  a  new  life.  He  sought  to 
restore  confidence  and  impart  hope  to  this  woman  by 
letting  her  know  that  He  believed  in  her.  Others 
might  expect  her  to  sin;  He  expected  her  to  abandon 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  37 


sin.  The  very  attitude  that  Jesus  took  toward  her 
brought  about  a  new  attitude  on  her  part  toward  her 
sin.  There  is  no  making  light  of  her  sin  on  Jesus' 
part,  but  the  dealing  with  the  situation  in  such  a  way 
as  to  bring  about  repentance  which  is  a  ceasing  to  do 
evil  and  a  learning  to  do  well. 

We  do  not  know  what  became  of  this  woman.  She 
drops  out  of  the  narrative  as  abruptly  as  she  came  in, 
but  we  may  believe  that  from  that  hour  she  was  a 
changed  soul.  The  recollection  of  that  experience 
would  be  a  memory  to  bless  and  burn.  We  have  a 
right  to  believe  that  she  went  away  from  the  presence 
of  Jesus  that  memorable  day  with  hope  singing  in  her 
heart.  Oh,  that  the  world  would  begin  to  deal  with 
men  and  women  according  to  the  standard  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Society  has  been  slow  to  adopt  the  single 
standard  of  morality.  Woman  is  the  age-old  sufferer 
— man  the  long  time  privileged  sex.  On  the  whole  this 
is  "a  man's  world."  Only  since  the  great  war  has 
England  placed  both  sexes  on  an  equality  in  the  matter 
of  divorce.  Hitherto  the  husband  could  divorce  his 
wife  for  infidelity  to  the  marriage  vow,  the  wife  had 
no  recourse  against  her  husband  for  a  similar  wrong. 
In  one  of  our  states,  until  a  few  years  ago,  the  law 
permitted  a  husband  to  obtain  a  divorce  upon  proof  of 
a  single  violation  of  the  marriage  vow,  while  the  wife 
was  compelled  to  prove  habitual  violation  on  the  part 
of  her  husband.  The  debt  of  woman  to  the  teachings 
and  spirit  of  Jesus  is  unpayably  great.  He  championed 
her  rights  as  He  did  the  rights  of  the  child.  In  this 
singularly  impressive  incident  of  the  lone  woman  and 
her  accusers,  there  is  more  than  a  suggestion  of  the 


38    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


right  method  to  pursue  in  dealing  with  sin  and  society. 
Penalizing  the  woman  and  letting  the  man  go  free  is 
neither  just  nor  expedient. 

"Christ's  method  of  dealing  with  the  social  evil," 
said  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott,  "is  in  principle  precisely  the 
same  as  His  method  of  dealing  with  crime — the  method, 
not  of  permission  and  regulation,  not  of  mere  prohibi- 
tion and  punishment,  but  of  compassion  and  cure.  It 
is  the  method  which  Christian  charity  is  pursuing  with 
reasonable  measure  of  success  in  individual  cases — but, 
alas!  in  too  few.  It  condemns  licentiousness  in  man 
and  woman  alike — in  one  no  less  than  in  the  other.  In 
so  far  as  this  licentiousness  is  a  violation  of  the  social 
order,  Christ's  method  would  prohibit  it  by  law.  The 
lawbreaker  would  be  arrested,  not  to  be  punished  for 
her  sin,  but  to  be  cured  of  it,  to  be  separated  from  the 
evil  influences  which  would  lead  her  into  paths  of  vir- 
tue, and  wherever  the  cure  could  not  be  effected,  to  be 
kept  in  confinement  for  the  rest  of  her  life,  not  to  pun- 
ish her  for  past  sin,  but  to  protect  her  and  to  protect 
the  community  from  sin  in  the  future.  Not  until  our 
civilization  shall  have  wrought  out  in  life  what  Haw- 
thorne wrought  out  in  'The  Scarlet  Letter'  and  the 
man  takes  his  stand  in  the  pillory  by  the  woman,  and 
the  scarlet  letter  is  on  the  breast  of  the  one  as  on  the 
breast  of  the  other,  and  both  alike  bear  the  ineffable 
shame,  and  each  helps  the  other  back  to  the  ineffable 
glory,  shall  we  find  Christ's  remedy." 

In  connection  with  this  Scripture  I  recall  an  episode 
which  will  remain  with  me  as  long  as  memory  lasts. 
A  member  of  the  church  to  which  I  minister  brought 
to  my  study  a  young  woman  whom  she  had  res- 


WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND  39 

cued  from  the  streets.  The  girl — for  she  was  little 
more — was  the  victim  of  betrayal,  and  had  been  driven 
away  from  her  makeshift  of  a  home  and  deserted.  She 
was  different  from  most  of  her  type,  the  charm  of 
modesty  was  not  all  gone,  the  bloom  of  maidenhood  had 
not  been  entirely  destroyed.  She  was  broken  utterly 
and  desired  to  begin  life  all  over  again  and  accept  Jesus 
as  her  Saviour  and  Friend.  She  had  had  little,  if  any, 
religious  training  and  knew  scarcely  nothing  of  the 
content  of  the  Scriptures,  even  the  Gospels.  As  I 
looked  at  her  I  was  deeply  touched  by  her  plight.  She 
resembled  a  beautiful  winged  butterfly  that  had  been 
caught  in  a  driving  rain,  beaten  to  earth,  bruised  and 
unable  to  fly.  I  found  speech  difficult  and  decided  to 
read  to  her  from  the  New  Testament.  Something 
prompted  me  to  turn  to  this  passage  from  St.  John 
which  I  read  slowly  and  without  comment.  When  I 
had  finished  I  looked  up  to  see  before  me  a  face  trans- 
figured, though  suffused  with  tears.  Her  eyes  were 
wet  but  eloquent  with  the  speech  her  tongue  could  not 
tell ;  they  spoke  as  so  many  words  and  said :  "Is  that 
in  the  Bible?  Did  Jesus  say  that?  O,  God  be  praised ! 
there  is  hope  and  pardon  for  me,  even  me!" 


Ill 

THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS 

A  Summit  View  From  the  Mount  Blanc  of  the 
Scriptures 


John  17:4. 

I  glorified  Thee  on  the  earth,  having  accom- 
plished the  work  which  Thou  hast  given  me 
to  do. 

John  17:15. 

I  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldest  take  them 
from  the  world,  but  that  Thou  shouldest  keep 
them  from  the  evil  one. 

John  17:19. 

And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  Myself,  tha£ 
they  themselves  also  may  be  sanctified  in  truth. 

John  17:20-21. 

Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but  for 
them  also  that  believe  on  me  through  their 
word ;  that  they  may  all  be  one ;  even  as  Thou, 
Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they 
also  may  be  in  us :  that  the  world  may  believe 
Thou  didst  send  me. 

John  17:26. 
I  in  them. 


Ill 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS 

When  John  Knox,  the  famous  Scotch  reformer, 
was  dying,  his  wife  sat  by  his  bedside  and  asked  if  she 
should  read  from  the  Word.  "Yes,"  he  replied,  "where 
I  first  cast  anchor."  Thereupon  she  read  from  John, 
the  seventeenth  chapter.  As  the  dying  man  grew 
weaker  and  the  power  of  speech  failed  him,  another 
standing  by  called  to  him  loudly  as  to  one  journeying 
afar,  "John  Knox,  hast  thou  hope?"  He  slowly  lifted 
his  finger  and  pointed  upward.  That  was  all,  and  that 
was  enough. 

Others  besides  Knox  have  called  for  this  chapter  as 
the  lamp  of  life  grew  dim.  It  is  said  of  Bossuet,  the 
renowned  French  preacher,  that  by  his  request  this 
chapter  was  read  to  him  sixty  times  during  his  last 
illness.  Profounder  Scripture  than  this  there  is  not 
in  all  the  Bible.  It  is  the  great  High  Priestly  prayer  of 
our  Lord,  and  there  is  none  like  it.  In  the  course  of  his 
last  lecture  given  shortly  before  his  death,  Melanchthon 
said :  "There  is  no  voice  which  has  ever  been  heard 
either  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  more  exalted,  more  holy, 
more  fruitful,  more  sublime,  than  this  prayer  offered 
up  by  the  son  of  God."  Fitting,  is  it  not,  that  at  the 
close  of  his  most  remarkable  discourse  there  should 
follow  this  most  remarkable  of  His  prayers?  The 
43 


44    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


twenty-six  verses  of  this  chapter  fall  naturally  into  four 
sections :  First,  Jesus'  prayer  for  Himself ;  second, 
Jesus'  prayer  for  His  disciples ;  third,  Jesus'  prayer  for 
subsequent  believers;  and  fourth,  a  final  confidential 
utterance  from  Son  to  Father. 

One  approaches  this  intercessory  prayer  of  Jesus' 
with  something  akin  to  awe.  A  great  and  devout  stu- 
dent of  the  Scriptures  who  spent  a  life  interpreting  and 
proclaiming  the  Gospel,  never  felt  himself  equal  to  at- 
tempt a  sermon  on  John  seventeen.  It  is  possible  to 
understand  such  a  view  without  endorsing  it.  For  the 
same  reason  an  artist  might  refuse  to  paint  the  ocean 
because  the  waters  of  the  great  deep  are  so  vast  and 
wonderful;  or  hesitate  to  put  a  mountain  scene  upon 
canvas  because,  at  its  best,  such  a  picture  would  be 
partial  and  incomplete.  This  great  prayer  has  been 
preserved,  not  merely  for  our  admiration,  but  for  our 
study  and  instruction.  It  may  be  remarked  in  passing 
that  the  key  words  of  the  chapter  are  "glorify,"  "keep," 
and  "sanctify." 

I 

"i  GLORIFIED  THEE  ON  THE  EARTH  ;  HAVING  ACCOM- 
PLISHED THE  WORK  WHICH  THOU  HAST  GIVEN  ME  TO 
DO.  AND  NOW,  FATHER,  GLORIFY  THOU  ME  WITH 
THINE  OWN   SELF  WITH  THE  GLORY  WHICH   I  HAD 

with  thee  before  the  world  was."  The  marvel  of 
these  words  is  twofold.  They  show  that  God  is  glori- 
fied most  by  a  life  obedient  to  His  will;  that  character, 
and  not  time,  is  most  necessary  in  order  to  do  our 
work.  There  is  something  positively  sublime  in  the 
attitude  of  Jesus  here,  as  fully  conscious  that  He  had 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  45 


yielded  perfect  obedience  to  the  Father's  will.  This  is 
something  more  than  "Well  done,  thou  good  and  faith- 
ful servant."  Here  is  a  life  owning  such  one-ness  with 
the  Father  and  consciousness  of  duty  done,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  say  in  truth,  "Father,  I  have  done  Thy  will  on 
earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven."  Only  thirty-three  years 
of  life  and  yet  completion  crowns  Jesus'  career.  What 
orderliness  there  was  in  His  life,  no  haste,  no  flurry, 
no  perturbation,  but  calm  and  quiet  doing  of  His  work 
to  the  end.  How  such  lofty  achievements  contrast  with 
our  lives,  so  incomplete,  so  fitful,  so  feverish,  and  un- 
finished. Thus  a  great  scientist  nearing  the  end  of 
his  course  cried:  "Oh,  that  I  had  another  century  to 
live!  I  have  just  begun  to  learn."  Thus  an  eminent 
author,  when  informed  by  his  physician  that  he  was 
incurably  ill,  thought  of  his  unfinished  manuscript  and 
exclaimed,  "Oh,  my  book,  my  book!"  Likewise  Arch- 
bishop Ussher  prayed  with  dying  breath,  "O  God,  for- 
give my  sins,  especially  my  sins  of  omission."  Con- 
sider our  own  lives,  how  fragmentary  they  are,  and 
particularly  our  lives  as  confessed  followers  of  the 
Christ.  Why,  we  have  not  fairly  begun  to  live  in 
Him.  We  are  mere  novices  in  the  school  of  prayer ;  we 
are  unacquainted  with  great  and  rich  expanses  of  His 
holy  Word;  we  are  in  the  primary  grade  in  the  things 
of  the  Spirit.  Oh,  the  things  undone,  what  a  host 
they  are!  "Unfinished!"  we  exclaim,  and  truthfully. 
Yet  we  catch  glimpses  here  of  a  way  of  life  possible  to 
us  beyond  anything  we  have  ever  dared  to  dream.  We 
learn  here  that  life  cannot  be  reckoned  by  figures  on  a 
dial,  or  dates  on  the  calendar.  Three  and  thirty  years 
He  lived  in  the  narrow  confines  of  a  little  strip  of 


46   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


territory  not  great  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  neverthe- 
less, Jesus  could  say,  "I  have  finished  the  work  Thou 
hast  given  me  to  do." 

It  is  because  He  has  finished  His  God-given  task 
that  Jesus  is  able  to  pray  to  the  Father,  asking  that 
He  glorify  Him  with  the  glory  which  He  had,  before 
the  world  was.  The  life  with  which  we  have  to  do  in 
this  chapter  of  chapters,  neither  began  nor  ended  in 
the  Palestinian  country.  Geography  can  have  little,  if 
any,  bearing  upon  things  Eternal.  "Before  Abraham 
was,  I  am."  Thus  He  once  spoke  simply  and  as  a 
matter  of  course  of  the  life  He  had  with  the  Father 
before  "the  World  was."  In  Christ,  and  only  in  Him, 
have  we  an  understandable  conception  of  eternal  life; 
our  relation  to  God  and  to  one  another  in  the  terms  of 
the  Spirit.  Nor  are  we  to  think  of  Eternal  life  as 
merely  the  prolongation  of  our  days,  but  a  life  under 
new  conditions  and  deriving  power  from  new  sources. 
A  life  of  one  dimension,  however  extended,  is  not  neces- 
sarily a  full  or  desirable  life.  To  summarize  Christ's 
prayer  for  Himself :  He  presents  Himself  as  the  duti- 
ful Son,  who  has  glorified  the  Father  by  perfect  obedi- 
ence; a  life  like  a  perfect  mirror  reflecting  untarnished 
the  glory  of  God  Himself.  That  a  mere  human  being 
could  ever  pray  like  this  is  difficult  to  believe.  There 
is  a  grandeur  and  a  sublimity  in  this  intercessory  prayer 
that  is  of  the  Infinite.  It  is  of  a  humanity  exalted  to 
the  highest  degree  plus  a  divinity  as  potent  as  it  is 
difficult  of  definition. 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  47 


ii 

"i  PRAY  NOT  THAT  THOU  SHOULDEST  TAKE  THEM 
OUT  OF  THE  WORLD,  BUT  THAT  THOU  SHOULDEST  KEEP 

them  from  evil."  Jesus  prays  now  for  His  dis- 
ciples. They  had  been  with  Him  for  nearly  three 
years;  they  had  continued  with  Him  through  His 
temptations;  they  were  His  pupils,  His  friends,  His 
companions ;  or,  to  use  a  pastoral  word  that  Jesus  loved, 
His  "sheep."  During  the  years  He  was  with  them 
He  had  been  their  shepherd,  and  now  that  He  must 
leave  them  the  flock  will  be  scattered.  Therefore  He 
commends  them  to  the  Father  tenderly  and  compas- 
sionately ;  but  He  does  not  ask  that  they  be  taken  from 
the  world ;  He  prays  that  they  may  be  saved  from  evil. 
Some  have  eloquently  advocated  the  separation  of 
Christians  from  the  world  in  order  to  be  safe  from  its 
seductions.  Thus,  the  members  of  certain  religious  or- 
ders withdraw  from  the  world,  take  the  vow  of  perpet- 
ual silence  and  become  as  living  dead  men.  But  such  a 
manner  of  life  does  not  bring  immunity  from  tempta- 
tion; one  has  to  struggle  and  battle  with  himself  even 
on  a  desert  isle  or  in  a  hermit's  cave.  Moreover,  such 
a  way  of  life  is  not  without  its  selfish  side.  What  is 
the  meaning  of  the  New  Testament  terms  "Salt  of  the 
earth,"  "Light  of  the  world,"  and  "leaven"  unless  they 
teach  a  witnessing  for  Christ  where  there  be  men  and 
women  to  know,  to  see,  to  hear  ?  The  disciples  were  in 
the  world  of  sin,  suffering,  and  death,  but  not  of  the 
world  that  perishes,  the  world  of  mere  sight  and  sound 
and  touch.  Jesus  accomplished  His  ministry  among 
the  people,  with  the  people  and  for  the  people.  He 


48    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


"went  about  doing  good."  He  visited  the  people  in 
their  homes;  mingled  with  them  on  the  street;  sailed 
with  them  on  Galilee;  met  with  them  in  the  synagogue; 
and  during  the  first  part  of  His  ministry  the  multitude 
thronged  Him  on  every  side.  Wherever  Jesus  went 
He  brought  with  Him  such  a  sense  of  God's  presence 
that  men,  women  and  children  were  never  the  same 
again.  For  such  a  way  of  life  of  the  part  of  His 
disciples  He  now  prays.  He  does  not  pray  that  John, 
Peter,  James,  or  any  of  His  disciples  be  taken  out  of 
the  midst  of  the  teeming  life  of  the  world  in  order  that 
they  may  be  removed  from  evil.  He  prays  that  they 
remain  in  the  world  and  be  kept  from  evil.  And  that 
is  His  prayer  for  you  and  for  me,  fellow-disciple  of  the 
Lord.  We  are  not  to  flee  from  the  crowd,  nor  avoid 
contact  with  people ;  we  are  to  mingle  freely  with  them ; 
our  lot  is  cast  with  them ;  we  be  brethren  and  neighbors, 
children  of  one  Father,  all. 

Mingling  thus  with  our  fellows  daily  and  amidst 
error,  we  are  to  witness  for  the  truth ;  amidst  the  fleet- 
ing and  falling  things  witness  for  "the  things  that 
cannot  be  shaken" ;  in  a  generation  which  regards  sin 
lightly,  witness  for  Him  Whom  the  sins  of  others  put 
to  death.  Jesus  was  holy,  but  God  be  praised,  His  holi- 
ness did  not  restrain  Him  from  touching  the  hand  of 
the  leper,  from  declining  an  invitation  to  the  homes 
of  the  publicans  and  sinners,  or  from  embarrassing 
Him  in  His  conversation  with  the  woman  at  the  well 
of  Jacob.  He  was  in  the  world  of  suffering,  sorrow, 
joy,  gladness,  but  not  of  the  sinful  world  of  sight  and 
sound  and  appetite.  And  this  is  the  great  ideal  He  has 
left  for  His  disciples.   To  love  mankind  and  be  willing 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  49 


to  serve  the  least  and  lowliest;  to  be  very  much  and 
often  in  the  darkest  and  foulest  places  of  earth,  and 
there  bear  a  flaming  torch  and  bring  a  spirit  of  purity, 
is  to  be  Christian  where  the  need  is  the  deepest  and  re- 
demption the  most  Christlike.  If  sin  cannot  be  segre- 
gated, neither  can  holiness  be  isolated. 

in 

"AND  FOR  THEIR  SAKES  I  SANCTIFY  MYSELF  THAT 
THEY    ALSO    MIGHT    BE    SANCTIFIED    THROUGH  THE 

truth."  Jesus  is  still  praying  for  His  disciples  and 
He  continues  to  pray  earnestly,  wonderfully.  He  says, 
"I  consecrate," — for  that  is  what  the  word  sanctify 
means,  and  is  so  placed  in  the  margin  of  the  Revised 
Version.  "I  consecrate  myself  for  their  sake  that  they 
also  might  be  consecrated  to  the  truth."  This  is  ex- 
alted doctrine;  this  is  supreme  service;  this  is  sacri- 
fice of  self-sublime.  He  lays  Himself  upon  the  altar, 
so  to  speak,  but  not  to  be  consumed  merely  to  be  con- 
sumed. A  basic  principle  of  Christ's  teaching  and  life 
is  not  to  value  any  act,  however  good  and  noble,  for  the 
act's  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  others.  Torture  for 
suffering's  sake  differs  little  from  pleasure  for  pleas- 
ure's sake.  Self -surrender  is  at  the  heart  of  conversion 
and  is  fundamental  in  the  Christian  life.  "Christ 
pleased  not  Himself,"  we  read;  and  did  He  not  say  of 
Himself,  "I  do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing  to 
God."  He  surrendered  His  will  to  the  will  of  God  for 
the  sake  of  all  God's  children.  When  He  hung  upon 
the  cross  and  His  enemies  tauntingly  cried,  "He  saved 
others,  Himself  He  cannot  save,"  they  spoke  more 
truthfully  than  they  knew.    He  could  not  save  Himself 


50    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


and  others  too.  It  is  easy  to  talk  about  self-denial ;  it 
is  another  and  a  harder  thing  to  practice  it  as  a  rule 
of  life.  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  deny  oneself  certain 
things  on  certain  days  or  seasons  of  the  year,  but  to 
deny  oneself  and  surrender  one's  will  to  God, — that  is 
a  far  more  fundamental  and  significant  act.  This  idea 
of  "others,"  is  all  through  the  life  and  ministry  of  our 
Lord.  It  is  in  the  mystery  of  the  atonement;  it  is 
woven  throughout  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  ordinances, 
baptism  and  communion  of  our  Lord's  Supper,  but 
it  has  not  yet  won  the  hearts  of  the  multitude  who  pro- 
fess Christianity.  The  thought  of  society  today  is  not 
of  "others"  but  of  self,  self,  self.  In  every  phase  of 
life  self  obtrudes.  Self  dies  hard  when  it  dies  at  all. 
Self  has  a  way  of  blinding  and  deluding  us.  Self- 
interests  protest  against  absolute  surrender  to  God's 
will;  self  chides  us  and  whispers,  "fanatic,"  "fool," 
"pietist";  self  seeks  to  stifle  us  and  smother  into  silence 
our  attempt  to  say,  "Thy  will  be  done." 

Consecration  is  a  word  often  on  our  lips  but  seldom 
observable  in  our  lives  in  fullness  and  power.  So- 
ciety knows  the  meaning  of  the  word  in  part  and 
within  circles  or  groups,  but  not  largely  or  richly.  In- 
dividuals have  taught  us  what  consecration  is,  especially 
mothers  who  freely  give  their  all  for  son  or  daughter. 
Here  and  there  a  great  soul  marches  straight  to  Calvary 
for  the  sake  of  a  mighty  cause,  but  consecration  for 
others  in  the  large,  in  business,  national  and  inter- 
national relations,  has  not  yet  captured  the  hearts  of  the 
world.  Even  at  this  late  day  a  prominent  captain  of 
industry  scoffs  at  the  idea  of  the  golden  rule  in  busi- 
ness, or  the  teaching  of  the  "Sermon  on  the  Mount" 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  51 


in  politics.  On  the  other  hand  there  is  a  dynamic 
minority  of  wide  influence  who  stand  ready  to  bear 
witness  to  the  law  of  "others"  in  every  realm  of  so- 
ciety, willing  to  pay  the  fullest  price,  ready  "to  kiss 
the  Cross." 

IV 

"that  they  all  May  be  one  as  thou,  father, 
art  in  me  and  i  in  thee  :  that  they  may  be  one  in 
us."  Jesus  is  now  praying  for  all  the  disciples  that 
are  yet  to  be ;  for  the  Church  and  its  vast  membership ; 
praying  for  the  unity  of  all  His  followers  in  the  closest 
possible  spiritual  unity,  even  as  Christ  is  in  the  Father 
and  the  Father  in  Christ.  To  read  these  words  and 
then  to  peruse  church  history,  or  merely  to  look  about 
us  and  behold  the  divided  state  of  Christendom,  is  to 
experience  the  emotion  of  indignation,  if  not  of  despair. 

In  America  alone  the  Church  is  represented  by  one 
hundred  and  fifty  denominations.  The  spectacle  of 
controversies  and  bickerings  and  sectarian  bigotry  is 
mean  and  ugly  when  compared  with  the  spirit  of  this 
intercessory  prayer  of  our  Lord.  Let  it  be  granted 
that  this  prayer  is  for  spiritual  unity;  it  is  that,  of 
course,  but  a  spiritual  unity  should  result  in  a  visible 
unity,  beautiful  to  behold,  glorious  to  experience.  It 
cannot  mean  uniformity  of  method;  it  does  mean  a 
unity  of  spiritual  power  and  of  faith  and  of  fellowship 
that  will  reveal  to  the  world  a  united  and  indivisible 
Church,  powerful  and  triumphant.  When  the  disciples 
of  our  Lord  are  united  in  Him  even  as  "He  and  the 
Father  are  one,"  the  world  will  not  longer  doubt  the 
Divine  mission  of  Jesus.  The  trouble  is  that  thousands 


52   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


are  united  to  human  creeds,  fettered  to  antiquated  the- 
ologies; are  glorifying  human  leaders;  enslaved  to 
human  traditions;  and  so  yield  an  anaemic  will  and  a 
divided  heart  to  Christ.  As  long  as  we  continue  to 
glory  in  men,  and  delight  to  set  one  man  over  against 
another,  glorying  in  one  and  anathematizing  the  other, 
divisions  will  continue.  My  brethren,  is  not  the  diffi- 
culty our  meager  spirituality?  We  have  everything  ex- 
cept the  power,  for  the  power  comes  of  the  spirit.  "If 
any  man  hath  not  the  spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none  of 
His."  The  beginning  of  such  a  unity  as  Christ  prayed 
for  is  the  union  of  the  individual  disciple  with  his  Lord. 
This  is  not  a  doctrine;  it  is  an  experience.  It  is  not 
something  believed ;  it  is  something  felt  and  known  and 
demonstrated. 

Christian  Unity,  if  it  ever  flower,  must  have  its  root- 
age in  the  life  of  the  spirit,  in  the  sweet  soil  of  the 
soul.  As  the  disciples  tarried  at  Jerusalem  for  Pente- 
cost they  experienced  a  unity  that  was  potent  for  every 
good  thing.  It  should  be  remembered  that  they  were 
united  because  they  were  prayerful.  Their  unity  was 
the  result  of  their  prayers,  not  their  prayer  fulness  of 
their  unity.  Uniformity  may  be  realized  without 
prayer,  but  never  unity — which  is  a  spiritual  experience, 
not  a  form  or  method. 

At  the  close  of  this  prayer  Jesus  uses  a  pregnant 
phrase;  namely,  "I  in  them."  St.  Paul  employs  a  simi- 
lar phrase  when  he  writes :  "Christ  in  us  the  hope  of 
glory."  And  still  again,  "I  have  been  crucified  with 
Christ;  no  longer  do  I  live;  but  Christ  lives  in  me." 
One  of  the  foremost  educators  in  England  had  a  son 
who  was  slow-witted.    His  mind  was  strangely  dulled 


THE  CHAPTER  OF  CHAPTERS  53 


because  of  some  disease  of  babyhood.  The  ordinary 
teachers  failed  with  the  boy;  they  could  get  nowhere 
with  him.  Then  the  father  took  charge — that  great 
soul,  whose  mind  was  one  of  the  best  trained  in  all 
Europe,  whose  personality  was  rich  and  wholesome 
throughout.  That  strapping  six- footed  father  some- 
how let  himself  right  down  into  the  inner  life  of  that 
little  slow-witted  son.  Very  slowly,  but  steadily  and 
wonderfully  the  mind  of  the  boy  began  to  expand.  The 
father  companied  with  him  day  after  day.  Slowly  but 
surely  the  mind  of  the  lad  began  to  show  extraordinary 
development.  He  commenced  to  lead  his  classes;  he 
finished  the  lower  schools  with  honor;  lo!  he  went  to 
Oxford  and  carried  off  the  prize.  The  secret  of  his 
success  was  that  his  father  became  part  of  the  very  life 
of  his  son ;  that  in  a  strange,  yet  very  practical,  fashion, 
that  father  was  himself  and  his  son  at  the  same  time. 
If  an  earthly  father  can  be  himself  and  in  his  son  at 
the  same  time,  if  an  earthly  father  can  be  in  his  son 
in  so  wonderful  a  way,  how  much  more  can  God  be 
in  His  children  with  transforming  power. 

It  is  with  this  thought  "I  in  them"  that  Jesus  con- 
cludes this  memorable  prayer,  and  this  fact  of  Christ 
in  us  is  the  open  and  puissant  secret  of  Christian  power 
and  victory. 


IV 

THREE  TIMES  A  DAY 
A  Plea  for  Fixed  Seasons  of  Private  Devotions 


Daniel  6:10. 

And  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was 
signed,  he  went  into  his  house  (now  his  win- 
dows were  open  in  his  chamber  toward  Jeru- 
salem) ;  and  he  kneeled  upon  his  knees  three 
times  a  day,  and  prayed,  and  gave  thanks  be- 
fore his  God,  as  he  did  aforetime. 


IV 


THREE  TIMES  A  DAY 

The  scene  is  Babylon,  famed  for  her  pomp,  her 
wealth  and  prodigality.  Babylon  was  a  pagan  city 
where  pleasure  ran  riot  and  iniquity  flourished.  Liv- 
ing in  Babylon  and  prominent  there,  but  not  of  Baby- 
lon's worldly  life,  was  a  prophet  of  the  most  High  God. 
Though  of  alien  race  and  religion,  this  man,  by  sheer 
force  of  his  ability,  had  been  elevated  to  the  high  of- 
fice of  Prime  Minister.  Naturally,  Daniel  became  the 
target  of  a  thousand  jealousies  and  intrigues.  His 
enemies  sought  to  discover  some  weakness  in  his  life, 
some  failure  in  probity  wherein  they  might  accuse  him 
to  the  king.  They  sought  diligently  and  found  noth- 
ing. They  concluded  then  that  the  only  way  in  which 
this  faithful  servant  of  the  king  could  be  embarrassed 
and  put  out  of  office  would  be  through  interference  with 
his  religion.  His  enemies  therefore  cunningly  devised 
a  law  and  secured  its  approval  by  the  king  that  whoever 
offered  a  petition  to  any  God  save  King  Darius  would 
be  thrown  into  a  den  of  lions.  Such  a  law  once  passed 
in  Babylon  could  not  be  repealed  or  modified;  it  was 
unalterable  and  had  to  be  enforced. 

When  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was  signed,  it 
did  not  affect  his  way  of  life  in  the  smallest  particular. 
He  went  into  his  house  and  his  windows  being  open 
57 


58   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


in  his  chamber  toward  Jerusalem,  he  kneeled  upon  his 
knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed  and  gave  thanks 
unto  his  God  as  he  did  before.  Is  it  not  a  superb 
courage  that  leads  a  man  to  such  a  decision  in  the  face 
of  death  itself?  Is  not  a  religion  that  will  bear  trans- 
planting under  such  conditions  a  tremendous  factor  in 
personal  life  and  in  society?  But  it  is  not  my  purpose 
to  make  the  character  of  Daniel  nor  his  fidelity  to  his 
faith  amidst  any  and  all  circumstances  my  theme  this 
morning,  though  these  are  inviting  subjects  and  much 
needed  by  our  times.  Instead  I  want  to  turn  to  Daniel's 
habits  of  stated  prayer  as  the  inspiration  for  a  sermon 
on  the  need  and  power  of  fixed  seasons  of  private  prayer 
in  daily  life. 

Three  times  a  day  in  his  own  home  and  on  his  knees, 
with  his  windows  open  toward  Jerusalem,  Daniel 
prayed.  Three  times  a  day !  The  Holy  Scriptures  are 
full  of  precepts  and  examples  of  prayer  at  certain 
periods  of  the  day.  In  one  of  the  Psalms  we  read: 
"My  voice  shalt  thou  hear  in  the  morning,  O  Lord: 
in  the  morning  will  I  direct  my  prayer  unto  Thee,  and 
look  up."  In  another:  "Mine  eyes  prevent  the  night 
watches  that  I  might  meditate  in  Thy  word."  In  still 
another :  "I  remember  thee  upon  my  bed  and  meditate 
upon  Thee  in  the  night  watches."  And  again :  "Even- 
ing, noon,  and  morning  will  I  pray,  and  cry  aloud ;  and 
He  shall  hear  my  voice."  Evening,  noon,  and  morning 
for  prayer  to  the  Heavenly  Father — three  times  a  day ! 
Let  us  follow  the  order  according  to  the  Psalmist  and 
begin  with  the — 


THREE  TIMES  A  DAY  59 


EVENING 

Most  people  who  pray  at  all  pray  in  the  evening  or 
at  night.  The  need  of  God's  protection  and  the  pres- 
ence of  His  brooding  spirit  is  more  apparent  in  dark- 
ness than  in  light.  When  the  twilight  deepens  and  the 
night  enshrouds  land  and  sea,  doubts  and  fears  hold 
carnival.  In  a  "Sonnet  To  Night,"  pronounced  by 
Coleridge  the  finest  in  the  English  language,  Joseph 
Blanco  White  uses  the  impressive  phrase  "Mysterious 
Night"  and  then  attempts  to  describe  the  emotions  of 
primitive  man  when  for  the  first  time  he  saw  the  night 
envelop  the  earth.  Yes,  the  night  is  full  of  mystery, 
of  hidden  peril  and  unknown  evil. 

When  one  lies  down  to  sleep  he  knows  not  but  that 
the  sleep  of  life  may  become  the  sleep  of  death.  Thus, 
even  in  the  prayer  we  teach  the  children  is  the  phrase — 

If  I  should  die  before  I  wake 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  take. 

Yes,  by  all  means  there  should  be  prayer  at  evening, 
after  the  day  is  done  and  the  work  ended.  It  is  good 
to  come  to  the  Father  then  just  as  we  are,  and  ere  we 
seek  rest  in  sleep  to  lay  before  Him  the  happenings 
of  the  day — defeats,  victories,  griefs,  disappointments, 
joys,  hopes,  yearnings,  all — and  He  who  knoweth  our 
frame  will  understand.  Yes,  prayer  at  evening  for 
forgiveness,  for  cleansing  of  mind  and  heart,  for  rest 
in  sleep — that  gift  of  God  which  knits  up  the  raveled 
sleeve  of  care,  restores  worn  tissues,  and  revives  droop- 
ing spirits. 

Prayer  at  evening  becomes  us  all.  It  affords  a 
unique  opportunity  to  think  God's  thoughts  after  Him. 


60    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Dr.  Horace  Bushnell  confessed  that  he  fell  asleep 
every  night  while  talking  with  God.  Thus,  too,  a  great 
German  theologian  and  scholar  was  accustomed  before 
going  to  bed  to  bow  his  head  like  a  little  child  and  say 
— "Thank  God  it  is  the  same  with  us  as  it  was  before. 
Nothing  has  come  between  us ;  Thou  art  my  Father  and 
I  am  Thy  child."  In  like  manner  an  aged  woman, 
long  a  sturdy  Believer  and  trustful  Disciple  of  the 
Lord,  repeated  as  she  lay  in  bed,  over  and  over  again, 
"Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  in  me; 
bless  His  holy  name."  Thus  quoting  from  the  one 
hundred  and  third  Psalm  she  would  fall  asleep,  her 
room  fragrant  with  the  peace  of  God.  The  building 
of  character  does  not  cease  with  our  waking  hours. 
The  mind  is  not  entirely  inactive,  the  thoughts  that 
linger  in  the  brain  as  sleep  comes  on  are  potent  surely. 
Well  it  is  for  us  to  sink  into  slumber  with  the  thought 
that  the  Great  Shepherd  is  watching  over  us — that 
Shepherd  of  our  souls  who  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps. 
The  insomnia  of  God  is  a  blessed  truth,  and  the  thought 
of  it  may  help  bring  blessed  peace  to  wearied  eyes,  rest 
to  worn  and  shattered  nerves,  sleep  to  a  distraught  and 
uneasy  mind. 

NOON 

The  Psalmist  affirmed  that  he  would  pray  at  the 
noon  hour,  and  for  most  of  us  that  is  an  unusual 
prayer  season.  It  is  a  time  when  the  vigor  and  light 
of  the  sun  is  at  its  zenith.  The  whole  world  seems 
throbbingly  alive  at  noon-day,  and  yet  it  is  a  period 
of  pause  and  a  time  of  refreshment  and  relaxation.  In 
the  country  the  dinner  bell  summons  the  farmer  from 


THREE  TIMES  A  DAY 


61 


the  field  and  there  is  a  brief  span  of  rest  for  man  and 
beast.  In  the  great  cities,  shops,  factory  and  office 
buildings  pour  forth  their  flood  of  human-kind  at  the 
noon  hour.  The  cafesL  the  restaurants,  the  hotels  are 
filled  with  people  eating  and  drinking;  the  children  are 
home  from  school;  it  is  a  time  of  sociability  and  a 
period  of  release  from  the  exactions  of  duties  and 
responsibilities. 

Few  people  pray  at  noontide.  There  seems  to  be  less 
need  of  it  than  at  any  other  time.  If  the  sun  be  shin- 
ing, his  rays  are  never  so  garish  as  at  the  noon  hour. 
The  world  is  bathed  in  sunshine  and  light.  Perhaps 
we  feel  freer  from  need  of  Divine  help  and  more  ready 
to  abandon  ourselves  to  relaxation  at  the  noon  hour 
than  at  any  other  period  of  the  day.  But  one  needs 
God  and  a  realization  of  His  presence  then  as  well  as 
at  other  times.  "We  stumble  at  noon-day  as  in  the 
twilight,"  acknowledged  Isaiah.  A  few  moments  of 
private  devotion  at  noon,  the  bowing  of  the  head  while 
sitting  at  the  desk  or  standing  at  an  open  window,  look- 
ing out  over  the  roofs  of  nearby  buildings,  or  if  it  be 
in  the  country,  gazing  upon  the  quiet  field,  the  wood- 
lands or  the  mountains.  In  such  a  manner  may  one  en- 
joy the  privilege  of  prayer  at  noontide. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  noon  is  the  best  of  all 
times  to  pray  for  the  world,  and  in  this  connection  it 
has  been  said  that  when  it  is  noon  in  Britain  the  largest 
portion  of  the  earth  is  in  light ;  that  when  it  is  twelve 
o'clock  in  London  it  is  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  in 
China,  and  it  is  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  America.  Precisely  what  o'clock  it 
may  be  elsewhere  when  it  is  midday  here,  I  do  not  know, 


62    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


save  that  it  surely  is  midnight  somewhere  for  millions 
of  God's  children.  How  fitting  a  period  to  pray  for 
the  peoples  of  all  Nations,  and  particularly  the  mis- 
sionaries in  China,  in  Japan,  in  Tibet,  in  India,  in  the 
Philippines,  in  the  Islands  of  the  Sea,  at  noon.  How 
blessed  to  remember  the  missionaries  of  the  Cross — 
men,  women  and  little  children — at  the  noon  hour.  At 
high  noon  the  hands  on  the  clocks  point  straight  up- 
ward. Time,  too,  to  look  up  and  pray  to  the  Father 
of  us  all. 

MORNING 

Prayer  at  the  beginning  of  the  day  is  peculiarly  fit- 
ting. Alas!  of  the  great  host  of  people  who  pray  in 
the  evening,  but  few  keep  the  morning  watch.  We 
feel  the  need  of  prayer  at  night,  and  pray  accordingly, 
but  in  the  morning,  with  light  streaming  all  about  us, 
the  need  seems  not  so  great.  Alas,  millions  begin  the 
day  prayerlessly.  Now  of  all  hours  of  day  or  night 
the  morning  provides  the  most  radiant  of  seasons  for 
communion  with  God.  If  there  be  mystery  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night,  there  is  poetry  in  the  glow  and  glory 
of  the  morning.  In  the  early  hours  of  the  day  the 
world  seems  fresh  from  the  Creator's  hands — the  silent 
ministry  of  the  dew  is  moist  on  grass  and  flower  and 
tree.  A  sunrise  is  never  commonplace.  In  spring- 
time or  early  fall,  or  on  a  clear  day  in  winter,  the 
rising  of  the  sun  is  a  spectacle  of  wonder  and  beauty. 
Lo!  the  first  faint  flushes  of  the  eastern  sky,  the  clear 
notes  of  bird  songs,  soft  breezes  stirring  in  the  branches 
of  the  trees,  and  then  the  sun  lifts  himself  above  the 
horizon  like  a  great  globe  of  fire,  and  earth  and  sky 


THREE  TIMES  A  DAY 


63 


are  flooded  with  a  golden  glow.  Little  wonder  the 
maiden  in  Browning's  famous  poem  sings  with  ecstasy 
of  sheer  delight  just  to  be  living — 

The  year's  at  the  spring, 
And  day's  at  the  morn; 
Morning's  at  seven, 
The  hill-side's  dew-pearled; 
The  lark's  on  the  wing, 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn: 
God's  in  His  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world! 

With  the  dawn  of  a  new  day  comes  the  necessity 
for  a  walk  of  faith.  Who  knows  what  a  day  may  bring 
forth?  It  may  bring  grief  and  sorrow,  disappoint- 
ment and  defeat.  It  may  offer  gifts  of  victory  and  a 
sense  of  elation.  It  may  bring  new  friendships  or  pos- 
sibilities that  can  mar  or  break  old  friendships!  It 
may  be  cloudless  or  stormy,  wind-swept  or  tornado- 
torn,  we  cannot  know  in  advance.  Therefore  we  need 
to  begin  the  day  with  prayer.  The  morning  has  been 
the  favorite  prayer-period  for  most  of  the  great  saints 
of  God.  Robert  Murray  McCheyne,  one  of  Scotland's 
most  gifted  preachers,  says  :  "I  ought  to  spend  the  best 
hours  in  communion  with  God.  It  is  my  noblest  and 
most  fruitful  employment  and  is  not  to  be  thrust  into 
a  corner.  The  morning  hours  of  six  to  eight  are  the 
most  uninterrupted."  Dr.  Judson  began  each  day 
with  a  period  of  private  devotions  with  the  Father,  and 
gave  it  as  his  conviction  that  "Thou  canst  leisurely  de- 
vote two  or  three  hours  every  day  to  secret  prayer 
and  communion  with  God."  David  said:  "Early  will 
I  seek  Thee."  Christ  arose  before  day  and  went  into 
a  solitary  place.    David  Brainerd,  missionary  to  the 


64>    WHEN  JESUS  MOTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Indians,  found  no  day  satisfying  that  did  not  begin 
with  prayer  to  God.  Martin  Luther  said :  "If  I  fail 
to  spend  two  hours  in  prayer  in  the  morning,  the  devil 
gets  the  victory  through  the  day."  G.  Campbell  Mor- 
gan is  well-known  in  America.  He  is  an  expository 
preacher  par  excellence.  His  books  are  numerous  and 
widely  read.  He  preaches  with  power  and  with  unction 
always.  What  is  the  secret  of  his  power  ?  It  is  this : 
For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  spent 
two  hours  every  morning  in  prayer  and  with  no  other 
book  within  reach  except  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Alex- 
ander MacLaren  who  was  one  of  England's  greatest 
of  preachers,  a  strong  soul,  a  prophet  of  the  Almighty, 
kept  the  quiet  hour  every  morning  from  nine  until 
ten,  and  in  the  solitude  of  that  silence  some  of  his 
greatest  sermons  had  their  birth.  There  used  to  be  a 
celebrated  statesman  in  England  who  held  the  post 
of  cabinet  minister  through  a  time  of  stress  and  great 
anxiety.  This  man,  more  than  all  the  others,  was 
calm,  unhurried,  possessed,  and  resourceful.  The 
Prime  Minister  of  that  day  applied  to  this  cabinet 
minister  an  unusual  name.  He  called  him  "the  central 
calm."  He  called  him  this  name  because  the  states- 
man's calmness  made  him  the  center  of  the  cabinet 
meeting.  To  him  the  others  turned  in  anxious  mo- 
ments. What  gave  him  calm  and  peace  and  power? 
The  statesman's  wife  made  known  the  secret.  She 
explained  that  her  husband  never  began  a  day,  however 
late  he  was  obliged  to  be  up,  without  a  quiet  hour  with 
God  and  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Verily  he  had  meat  to 
eat  that  his  fellow  cabinet  officers  knew  not  of. 

A  "central  calm."    Is  not  that  what  the  world  needs 


THREE  TIMES  A  DAY  65 


in  this  feverish  and  chaotic  generation?  A  central 
calm  at  Washington,  at  London,  at  Tokio,  at  Paris — 
yea,  a  central  calm  in  every  capital  in  the  world.  A 
central  calm  in  state,  in  church,  in  business,  industry, 
and  above  all  else  a  central  calm  in  every  home;  a 
realization  of  the  presence  of  Almighty  God  and  a  will- 
ingness to  receive  the  fullness  of  His  power. 

"Evening,  noon,  and  morning,"  exclaimed  the  Psalm- 
ist, "will  I  pray."  Would  that  we  too  could  say  as 
much.  Our  need,  our  greatest  need  in  this  hour,  as  in 
all  other  hours,  is  prayer.  The  greatest  thing  a  man 
or  woman  can  do  is  to  pray.  Why  ?  Because  by  pray- 
ing we  open  up  a  channel  for  God's  power;  we  throw 
ourselves  into  spiritual  gear,  so  to  speak.  God  fills  us 
and  uses  us  mightily.  There  must  be  habitual  prayer 
if  there  be  spiritual  health.  How  shall  we  be  able  to 
meet  the  awful  problems  of  our  day;  how  can  we  live 
and  move  and  have  our  being  midst  "change  and  de- 
cay" without  this  communion  with  God?  We  may 
exist,  but  we  cannot  really  live  without  it.  Three  times 
a  day !  Is  this  too  often  to  go  to  God  in  personal  and 
private  prayer?  Not  merely  three  formal  periods  in 
which  to  pray  mechanically  or  professionally,  but  fixed 
seasons  of  the  day  for  real  prayer,  quiet  moments  and 
fruitful  moments  with  our  Lord.  When  we  have 
learned  to  keep  these  seasons  inviolate,  nothing  can 
possibly  occur  that  will  throw  us  off  our  guard,  put  us 
to  shame,  or  really  defeat  us.  God  will  provide  a  way 
when  none  is  in  sight;  God  will  meet  our  weakness 
with  His  own  strength;  God  will  atmosphere  us  with 
poise  and  victory  and  make  all  things  beautiful  in  His 
time. 


66   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


There  is  a  little  book  much  heralded  these  days — it 
is  entitled  "The  Daily  Dozen"  and  it  is  a  manual  of  the 
simplest  kind  of  physical  exercise.  Walter  Camp,  the 
famous  athlete,  is  the  author.  It  contains  twelve  ele- 
mental bodily  movements  designed  to  develop  muscles 
little  used  and  to  build  the  body  up,  if  regularly  fol- 
lowed. These  exercises  are  not  beneficial  if  done 
merely  occasionally  or  spasmodically,  but  when  they  are 
daily  used  they  impart  to  the  body  not  only  suppleness 
and  grace,  but  they  also  fortify  it  against  the  inroads 
of  disease.  Tens  of  thousands  of  men  and  women  the 
country  over  are  following  faithfully  the  instructions 
in  the  little  book  and  thereby  increasing  their  physical 
vigor. 

This  is  all  very  well.  Bodily  exercise  profits  a  great 
deal,  and  a  well  set-up  and  smooth-running  physical 
system  is  a  sturdy  aid  in  the  battle  of  life.  It  is  easy 
to  forget  that  the  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
But  alas  and  alack ! — how  few  exercise  the  prayer  fac- 
ulty. How  anaemic  and  impoverished  and  feeble  is 
the  prayer  life  of  the  average  church  member.  The 
prayerlessness  of  the  Church  is  the  greatest  tragedy  of 
this  generation.  It  is  deadening  and  defeatening.  O ! 
for  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  who  are  willing 
three  times  a  day  to  pray  with  the  windows  of  their 
soul  opened  toward  the  God  of  Jesus  Christ.  Given 
such  seasons  of  spiritual  refreshment  and  Almighty 
God  will  bear  His  arm  and  shake  the  community  for 
righteousness,  for  justice,  for  newness  of  life,  and  the 
consequent  redemption  of  city,  town  and  county. 

Prayer  at  evening? — Yes!  Prayer  at  noon? — Yes! 
Prayer  in  the  morning? — A  thunderous  YES! 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO 

Some  Reflections  on  the  Marvel  of  the  Divine 
Pursuit 


Psalm  139:1-12. 

O  Jehovah,  thou  hast  searched  me,  and 
known  me.  Thou  knowest  my  downsitting 
and  mine  uprising;  thou  understandest  my 
thought  afar  off. 

Thou  searchest  out  my  path  and  my  lying 
down,  and  art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways. 

For  there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue,  hut, 
lo,  O  Jehovah,  thou  knowest  it  altogether. 

Thou  hast  beset  me  behind  and  before,  and 
laid  thine  hand  upon  me. 

Such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me;  it 
is  high,  I  cannot  attain  unto  it. 

Whither  shall  I  go  from  thy  Spirit?  or 
whither  shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence? 

If  I  ascend  up  into  heaven,  Thou  art  there; 
if  I  make  my  bed  in  sheol,  behold,  Thou  art 
there. 

If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning,  and 
dwell  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea; 

Even  there  shall  Thy  hand  lead  me,  and  Thy 
right  hand  shall  hold  me. 

If  I  say,  Surely  the  darkness  shall  over- 
whelm me,  and  the  light  about  me  shall  be 
night : 

Even  the  darkness  hideth  not  from  Thee, 
but  the  night  shineth  as  the  day :  the  darkness 
and  the  light  are  both  alike  to  Thee. 


V 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO 

In  the  opinion  of  many  devout  students  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  one  hundred  and  thirty-ninth  is  the  noblest 
utterance  of  all  the  Psalms.  A  great  Scottish  theo- 
logian said,  "This  is  the  Psalm  which  I  should  wish 
to  have  with  me  on  my  death -bed."  Why  should  a 
dying  man  prefer  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-ninth 
Psalm  to  the  tenderer  and  more  familiar  portions  of 
the  Psalter?  This  Psalm  lacks  the  pastoral  beauty  of 
the  twenty-third;  the  brilliant  didactic  qualities  of  the 
nineteenth;  the  mournful  cadence  of  the  ninetieth;  the 
plaintive  tenderness  of  the  one  hundred  and  third ;  but 
it  is  loftier  and  more  majestic  in  thought  than  any  one 
of  these  or  all  four.  The  author  is  in  an  exalted  mood ; 
he  senses  God  everywhere ;  he  conceives  of  man  as  be- 
set by  God  on  every  side  and  pursued  by  his  all-pervad- 
ing presence.  Thus,  upon  reflection,  it  is  seen  that  this 
is  a  fitting  passage  of  Scripture  for  one  to  read  as  he 
faces  some  impending  and  unknown  vicissitude  or, 
awaits  "the  great  teacher — death."  For  the  Psalmist 
is  sure  not  only  that  God  is,  but  also  that  He  is  pur- 
suing him  persistently  and  not  in  anger  but  in  love. 

The  exalted  mood  of  the  Psalmist  in  this  139th 
composition  is  worthy  of  comment.  He  finds  God 
everywhere.  He  finds  him  at  once  and  without  diffi- 
69 


70    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


culty.  How  different  his  mood  from  that  of  Job  who, 
in  an  experience  of  depression  and  doubt  exclaimed,  "O, 
that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him;  that  I  might 
even  come  to  His  seat."  Human  moods  are  variable 
always ;  like  tides  of  the  sea  they  rise  and  fall.  Some- 
times God  seems  nearby;  so  sure  we  are  of  His  pres- 
ence that  we  uncover  and  bow  the  head;  again  we 
glimpse  Him  faintly  as  across  some  vast  area  or  fail  to 
see  Him  at  all. 

Mark  Twain  has  left  an  account  of  a  camping  experi- 
ence in  the  Maine  woods,  when  Horace  Bushnell — 
the  distinguished  Christian  scholar — was  a  member  of 
the  party.  The  humorist  described  the  first  night  they 
slept  in  God's  great  out-of-doors,  and  particularly  the 
prayer  that  Bushnell  offered  before  they  fell  asleep.  It 
must  have  been  a  remarkable  prayer  for  it  made  the 
company  of  campers  realize  the  presence  of  the  Divine. 
Mark  Twain  was  deeply  impressed,  and  commenting  on 
the  incident  years  afterwards,  said,  "God  seemed  so 
near  that  I  fancied  I  could  reach  out  anywhere  that 
night  and  touch  Him."  But  when  the  famous  author 
was  bereft  of  his  devoted  wife  and  a  lovely  daughter, 
the  darkness  was  thick  about  him  and  he  sensed  God 
nowhere.  Nor  is  there  anything  more  pathetic  than  his 
confessedly  faint  sense  of  the  Divine  presence  as  he 
himself  entered  the  valley  of  the  shadow.  The  exalted 
moods  of  life  should  be  used  to  the  fullest.  They  are 
given  us  for  a  great  purpose.  By  the  mountain-top 
experiences  we  should  shape  our  lives  and  not  by  those 
of  the  valley  of  doubt  and  gloom.  Such  elation  of  the 
Spirit  as  is  expressed  in  this  Psalm  is  a  tonic  for  the 
soul ;  and  as  cold  water  is  to  thirsty  travelers,  so  these 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO  71 


great  affirmations  of  God's  every whereness  soothe  and 
comfort  the  weary  heart.  But  these  are  general  com- 
ments and  it  may  be  well  to  observe  more  particularly 
the  teachings  of  this  notable  Scripture  and  the  lofty 
conception  of  a  God  whose  presence  fills  the  world  and 
thrills  the  Psalmist's  soul.  It  is  interesting  to  look  at 
these  verses  one  by  one. 

"O  Lord,  thou  hast  searched  me  and  known  me." 
Could  anything  be  more  thorough-going  ?  God  knows 
us  completely.  "He  knoweth  our  frame,  He  remem- 
bereth  we  are  dust."  Not  only  so,  but  He  knows  us 
because  He  has  "searched"  us.  "Searched"  is  a  strong 
word.  It  means  to  "dig  deep."  It  has  the  idea  of 
minute  investigation  and  of  closest  scrutiny.  Here  is 
knowledge  too  wonderful  for  us.  We  think  we  know 
each  other,  but  we  are  mistaken.  Intimate  friends  and 
kinspeople  know  one  another  but  partly.  God  knows 
us  altogether  and  wholly.  The  mind  of  the  Psalmist 
is  flooded  with  this  truth  and  he  proceeds  to  expand 
upon  it  in  various  ways. 

"Thou  knowest  my  downsittings  and  mine  upris- 
ings." These  are  interesting  words.  They  are  com- 
parable with  another  phrase  made  familiar  by  much 
Bible  usage;  namely,  "Our  going  out  and  coming 
in."  It  may  be  by  the  use  of  the  terms  "downsittings" 
and  "uprisings"  the  psalmist  has  reference  to  our 
stumbling  and  falling,  our  blunders  and  failures,  and 
our  consequent  rising  to  begin  all  over  again.  God 
knows  our  modes  of  life,  whether  of  action  or  of  re- 
pose, our  sleeping  and  our  waking  hours.  Yea,  what- 
ever the  day  or  the  night  may  bring,  our  heavenly 


72    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

Father  knows.  The  God  of  Israel  neither  slumbers 
nor  sleeps. 

"Thou  compassest  or  winnowest  my  path  .  .  .  and 
art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways."  This  is  a  stronger 
statement  yet.  It  implies  a  still  closer  and  more  accu- 
rate knowledge  on  God's  part.  The  Psalmist  avers 
that  God  "winnowest"  the  way  that  we  go.  That  is 
an  eloquent  term.  As  the  old  time  farmer  used  to 
winnow  the  grain,  thus  separating  the  chaff  from  the 
wheat,  so  to  the  Psalmist's  mind  God  sifts  out  or  win- 
nows our  paths;  the  way  that  we  go  is  God  encircled 
if  we  only  knew  it.  We  may  forget  Him,  He  forgets 
us  never.   He  knoweth  the  way  we  take. 

"For  there  is  not  a  word  in  my  tongue,  but  lo,  O 
Lord,  Thou  knowest  it  altogether."  The  Psalmist 
could  not  have  phrased  the  knowledge  of  God  more 
strongly  than  this.  Even  before  we  frame  the  word 
He  has  knowledge  of  the  thought  that  lies  back  of  the 
speech.  Verily  we  every  one  have  need  to  pray — 
"Let  the  words  of  my  mouth  and  the  meditations  of 
my  heart  find  acceptance  in  Thy  sight,  O  Lord,  our 
strength  and  our  Redeemer." 

"Thou  hast  beset  me  behind  and  before  and  laid 
thine  hand  upon  me."  Ours  is  a  besetting  God.  The 
word  "beset"  has  fallen  into  an  unfavorable  meaning. 
We  speak  of  "besetting  sins" ;  why  not  speak  of  a  be- 
setting God,  a  God  who  besets  us  before  and  behind 
and  lays  His  hand  upon  us.  The  idea  is  not  that  of  a 
heavy  hand,  but  of  a  fatherly  and  compassionate  pres- 
sure. It  is  the  hand  of  love  and  of  mercy  and  of  long 
suffering.  It  is  a  precious  thought;  a  beautiful  figure; 
a  paternal  picture. 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO  73 


From  these  exalted  thoughts  of  God's  presence  and 
knowledge  the  Psalmist  proceeds  still  further.  He 
maintains  that  it  is  impossible  to  escape  the  Divine 
Spirit;  that  no  man  can  flee  from  the  presence  of  God. 
If  he  ascends  into  heaven  or  makes  his  bed  in  the 
grave,  lo,  God  is  there.  If  he  takes  the  wings  of  the 
morning  and  flies  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth, 
God  pursues  him.  Darkness  and  light  are  alike  unto 
Him.  Everywhere  and  all  the  time  he  perceived  God 
pursues  His  children,  and  in  manifold  ways.  Surely 
this  is  a  Psalm  extraordinary.  The  spirit  of  God  is 
contemplated  as  boundless  and  represents  man  as  at- 
tempting to  escape  from  God  and  failing  The  poets 
have  occasionally  made  this  thought  the  theme  of  their 
verses,  and  none  more  dramatically  than  Francis 
Thompson  in  his  strangely  haunting  poem  entitled, 
"The  Hound  of  Heaven."  In  verses  once  read  that 
can  never  be  forgotten,  the  poet  describes  the  Divine 
presence  pursuing  him  persistently,  through  every  vicis- 
situde, and  undefeated  by  his  efforts  to  elude  Him  at 
last  triumphantly  possesses  the  pursued  who  acknowl- 
edges Him  as  his  all  in  all. 

I  fled  Him,  down  the  nights  and  down  the  days; 

I  fled  Him,  down  the  arches  of  the  years; 
I  fled  Him,  down  the  labyrinthine  ways 

Of  my  own  mind;  and  in  the  mist  of  tears 
I  hid  from  Him,  and  under  running  laughter. 

Up  vistaed  hopes  I  sped; 

And  shot,  precipitated, 
Adown  Titanic  glooms  of  chasmed  fears 
From  those  strong  feet  that  followed,  followed  after 

But  with  unhurrying  chase, 

And  unperturbed  pace, 


74    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Deliberate  speed,  majestic  instancy, 

They  beat — and  a  voice  beat 

More  instant  than  the  feet — 
"All  things  betray  thee,  who  betrayest  Me" 

Halts  by  me  that  footfall: 

Is  my  gloom,  after  all, 
Shade  of  His  hand,  outstretched  caressingly? 

"Ah,  fondest,  blindest,  weakest, 
I  am  He  Whom  thou  seekest ! 
Thou  dravest  love  from  these,  who  dravest  Me." 

The  unique  quality  of  the  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
ninth  Psalm  is  that  it  exalts  a  conception  of  God  not 
common  throughout  the  Old  Testament.  The  devout 
Israelite  for  the  most  part  worshiped  God  as  some 
awful  and  distant  Deity.  He  thought  of  Jehovah  more 
often  as  a  Judge  and  King  than  a  Father.  He  bowed 
before  a  Magistrate  and  a  Monarch.  He  conceived  of 
worship  in  particular  localities  and  was  given  to  rev- 
erence for  Holy  places.  He  thought  of  Jehovah  as 
the  God  of  the  Jewish  people  only.  Thus  the  idea  of 
God  in  many  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  is  a  cir- 
cumscribed and  narrow  conception.  In  the  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-ninth  Psalm,  however,  the  author  per- 
ceives the  presence  of  God  as  filling  the  universe,  and 
more,  he  sees  man  striving  to  flee  from  Him,  seeking  to 
hide  from  Him  and  all  in  vain.  God  is  inevitable,  un- 
avoidable, unescapable.  In  all  verity  he  is  a  God  that 
will  not  let  us  go. 

This  is  a  profound  conception  of  Deity — this  thought 
of  the  Divine  Spirit  searching  out  the  hearts  of  men 
and  filling  all  the  universe  and  pursuing  man  ever  and 
always.  But  to  some  it  may  be,  and  frequently  is, 
vague,  intangible  and  impersonal.  There  is  an  aloof- 
ness about  the  idea  and  a  mysticism  in  it  that  does  not 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO  75 


satisfy  the  hearts  of  all  humanity.  I  think  of  the  little 
girl  who  had  been  put  to  bed  and  left  alone  in  the  dark 
in  a  room  upstairs.  The  other  members  of  the  family 
were  down  stairs  immediately  under  the  child's  bed- 
room and  were  laughing  and  talking.  By  and  by  they 
heard  the  child  crying.  The  mother  went  to  the  room, 
knelt  by  the  bed,  put  her  arms  around  the  little  girl 
and  asked  her  the  trouble.  "I  was  afraid  of  the  dark," 
the  little  girl  sobbed.  "The  dark  won't  hurt  you,  dear, 
God  is  here,"  comforted  the  mother.  Then  the  crying 
broke  out  afresh  and  between  sobs  the  little  girl  an- 
swered: "Yes — I  know — God's  here — but — I — want 
— someone — with — a — face."  Pathetic  words  and  yet 
ever  so  natural.  Yes,  we  want  someone  with  a  face, 
with  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to  hear,  with  voice  to  speak, 
with  ministering  hands,  with  beating  heart — for  such 
a  companion  and  comforter  does  humanity  still  cry 
and  God  has  heard  and  answered  that  cry. 

Long,  long  ago  in  an  upper  room  in  Jerusalem  a 
very  strong  and  radiant  personality — a  companion, 
friend  and  teacher  announced  to  the  group  who  had 
been  with  Him  for  nearly  three  years  that  He  was 
going  away;  that  He  was  obliged  to  leave  them.  He 
spoke  to  them  of  a  home  where  there  were  many  man- 
sions; informed  them  that  He  was  going  to  prepare 
a  place  for  them,  and  assured  them  that  He  would  come 
again.  He  also  said  that  He  was  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  light,  and  that  no  man  could  come  unto  the 
Father  but  by  Him.  The  little  company  were  sad  and 
filled  with  a  nameless  dread  of  approaching  disaster. 
One  of  that  group  named  Philip  asked  the  great  com- 
panion a  question :  "Lord,  show  us  the  Father  and  it 
sufficeth  us."   Tell  us  about  God,  explain  Him  to  us. 


76    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


He  seems  so  far  away.  We  cannot  see  Him  or  hear 
Him,  or  know  Him,  but  we  want  to  know  Him.  Show 
us  the  Father  and  it  will  satisfy  us,  as  nothing  else 
can  satisfy  us." 

The  world-cry  of  Philip  was  answered  by  Jesus,  and 
surpassingly  great  is  the  answer :  "Have  I  been  so  long 
time  with  you,  and  yet  hast  thou  not  known  me,  Philip  ? 
He  that  has  seen  Me  has  seen  the  Father."  Yes,  this  is 
the  answer :  "God  having  spoken  at  sundry  times  and 
divers  manners  hath  in  these  latter  days  spoken  unto 
us  by  His  Son."  It  is  well  to  range  the  one  hundred 
and  thirty-ninth  Psalm  alongside  the  fourteenth  chap- 
ter of  John.  The  Psalmist  in  a  measure  anticipates  the 
revelation  of  God  in  Christ.  The  mystery  of  the  In- 
carnation is  the  mystery  of  God  seeking  His  children, 
pursuing  them  constantly  and  persistently  with  His 
everlasting  love.  Behold  the  heavenly  Father  seeking 
His  children  in  the  life  and  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ. 
This  exalted  teaching  of  the  Psalmist  is  illustrated  and 
amplified  in  a  most  countless  way  in  the  teaching  of  the 
Christ.  Jesus  taught  that  the  very  hairs  of  our  heads 
are  numbered;  that  not  a  sparrow  falls  without  God's 
knowledge.  Such  teaching  is  akin  to  that  of  this  Psalm, 
only  fuller  and  more  intimate. 

His  parables  of  the  shepherd  seeking  his  sheep;  the 
woman  searching  for  the  coin ;  of  forgiving  one's  ene- 
mies seventy  times  seven;  of  going  the  second  mile, — 
all  these  figures,  incidents,  ideals,  are  but  outcroppings 
of  this  idea  of  God  as  seeking,  pursuing,  following  His 
creatures,  never  abandoning  them,  but  always  and  ever 
in  the  pursuit  Divine. 


A  GOD  WHO  WILL  NOT  LET  US  GO  77 


Jesus  Himself  was  the  incarnation  of  the  Divine 
Pursuer.  He  was  the  "sent  one."  He  explained  His 
mission  as  a  coming  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  The 
church — His  body — is  a  medium  of  the  spirit  seeking 
to  win  men  for  the  new  life  as  heirs  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  members  of  the  family  of  God.  Perhaps  the  lof- 
tiest explanation  given  by  any  New  Testament  writer 
of  the  purpose  of  God  in  Jesus  is  that  of  Paul  when  he 
says,  "God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to 
Himself." 

In  the  light  of  this  Psalm  and  the  trend  of  Biblical 
teaching,  much  in  our  theology  needs  revision.  We 
talk  and  pray  and  sing  as  though  God  were  reluctant 
to  bless  us;  as  if  He  were  so  busily  engaged  else- 
where in  His  boundless  universe  as  to  necessitate  our 
entreaty  and  supplication  to  make  Him  aware  of  our 
need  and  distress.  We  forget,  if,  indeed,  it  has  oc- 
curred to  us,  that  we  are  the  objects  of  His  pursuit, 
His  love,  His  wisdom,  His  knowledge.  We  are  seek- 
ing to  rHode  Him,  sometimes  unconsciously,  sometimes 
willfully.  What  means  this  restlessness,  this  wistful 
yearning  of  the  multitude  for  pleasure,  for  recreation, 
for  change  ?  What  is  the  reason  for  this  mad  scramble 
for  possession,  position  and  fame?  Is  it  not  because 
great  hosts  of  men  and  women  are  seeking  to  escape 
Almighty  God;  fearing  to  surrender  to  the  Divine 
Will  lest  some  darling  sin  must  be  abandoned;  skepti- 
cal that  spiritual  riches  are  comparable  with  material 
wealth  ?  O !  the  wonder  of  the  God  who  will  not  let  us 
go,  the  God  who  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to 
Himself.  We  forget  Him;  we  abandon  ourselves  to  a 
way  of  life  that  is  Godless,  but  He  never  forgets,  never 


78    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


abandons,  never  ceases  to  pursue  us.  And  God  pur- 
sues us  in  ways  that  are  diverse  and  totally  unlike.  He 
speaks  to  us  by  the  still  small  voice  of  conscience,  and 
if  we  refuse  to  listen  he  speaks  to  us  in  the  thunder  of 
some  event  in  our  lives  that  shakes  us  to  thefoundation. 
The  Divine  Spirit  reaches  us  sometimes  through  the 
counsel  and  faith  of  the  aged  and  the  afflicted;  some- 
times by  the  hand  of  a  little  child ;  sometimes  the  Spirit 
pursues  us  by  the  medium  of  a  dear  friend  or  of  a 
beloved  kinsman;  possibly  through  the  ministry  of  an 
entire  stranger.  Yes,  God  seeks  us  and  follows  after 
us,  using  a  hundred  different  tokens;  sometimes  He 
uses  the  seasons,  the  loveliness  of  spring,  the  mellow 
splendor  of  summer,  the  glory  of  mid-autumn,  the 
wonder  of  wintertime,  the  stars  by  night  and  the 
radiant  sun  by  day;  through  roses,  hollyhocks  and 
lilies;  through  books,  pictures,  music — through  and  by 
all  these  agencies,  and  still  on  and  on  that  love  that 
will  not  let  us  go  follows  us,  refuses  to  be  baffled, 
claims  us  unceasingly. 

When  we  think  of  God  in  this  light,  which  is  the 
light  all  aglow  on  the  mountain  peaks  of  Old  Testa- 
ment teaching,  and  the  great  Light  in  Jesus  Christ,  we 
are  humbled  and  made  to  tremble,  not  with  fear  but 
with  the  deepest  joy.  For  this  is  the  greatest  love  of 
earth  and  heaven — the  Love  that  will  not,  can  not,  let 
us  go. 

That  Voice  is  round  me  like  a  bursting  sea : 

And  is  thy  earth  so  marred, 

Shattered  in  shard  on  shard? 

Lo,  all  things  fly  thee,  for  thou  fliest  Me. 

Rise,  clasp  my  hand,  and  come! 


VI 

THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH 

How  God  Schools  His  Prophets  and  Provides 
Their  Successors 


//  Kings  2:13-14-15. 

And  he  took  up  also  the  mantle  of  Elijah 
that  fell  from  him,  and  went  back,  and  stood 
by  the  bank  of  the  Jordan.  And  he  took  the 
mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from  him,  and  smote 
the  waters,  and  said,  Where  is  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Elijah?  And  when  he  also  had  smit- 
ten the  waters,  they  were  divided  hither  and 
thither ;  and  Elisha  went  over.  And  when  the 
sons  of  the  prophets  that  were  at  Jericho  over 
against  him  saw  him,  they  said,  the  spirit  of 
Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha. 


VI 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH 

The  second  chapter  of  II  Kings  is  pervaded  with 
what  Sir  Robertson  Nicoll  calls  "The  sweet  and  awful 
sadness  of  the  valley  of  the  shadow."  Elijah,  the  re- 
nowned Prophet  of  Israel,  was  nearing  the  end  of  his 
life.  Elisha,  a  younger  man,  and  his  disciple,  was 
aAvare  that  the  time  of  separation  was  at  hand.  As 
the  hour  approached  for  his  home  going,  Elijah  made 
no  secret  of  his  preference  to  be  left  alone.  He  first 
suggested  to  Elisha  that  he  tarry  at  Gilgal,  then  at 
Bethel,  and  again  at  Jericho.  But  in  each  instance 
his  companion  declared — "As  the  Lord  liveth  and  as 
thy  soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee."  At  Jericho  a 
company  of  young  men  known  as  "The  sons  of  the  pro- 
phets," anxiously  awaited  the  coming  of  Elijah,  for 
they  too  knew  a  crisis  was  impending.  They  would 
have  liked  to  accompany  him,  but  the  privilege  granted 
to  Elisha  was  not  theirs.  Fifty  of  their  number  fol- 
lowed the  two  prophets  as  far  as  they  might  and  then 
sorrowfully  stood  and  watched  them  until  they  were 
lost  from  view. 

Master  and  pupil  crossed  the  Jordan  as  by  dry  land, 
and  when  they  had  passed  over,  Elijah  said  to  his 
companion,  "Ask  what  I  shall  do  for  thee  before  I  am 
taken  from  thee."  That  was  a  great  question,  and 
81 


82    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


right  greatly  the  younger  man  answered,  "I  pray  thee 
let  a  double  portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me."  There 
was  humility  in  that  request.  Elisha,  fronting  so  great 
a  crisis,  felt  himself  unequal  to  continue  the  work  of 
Elijah,  except  he  possessed  a  double  equipment  of  his 
spiritual  power.  The  old  prophet  replied,  "Thou  hast 
asked  a  hard  thing;  nevertheless,  if  thou  see  me  when 
I  am  taken  from  thee,  it  shall  be  so  unto  thee."  And 
lo !  while  the  two  men  were  conversing,  there  appeared 
a  chariot  of  fire  and  horses  of  fire,  which  parted  them 
asunder,  and  Elijah  was  taken  up  into  heaven  by  a 
whirlwind. 

Beholding  the  spectacle,  and  deeply  impressed  there- 
by, Elisha  cried,  "My  father,  my  father,  the  chariots 
of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof."  A  strange  and 
interesting  exclamation  is  this  by  which  it  may  be 
supposed  that  Elisha  believed  Elijah  to  be  as  great  a 
defense  to  the  Israelitish  Nation  as  an  army  ready 
for  battle,  and  such  he  was. 

How  long  Elisha  stood  gazing  into  the  sky  attempt- 
ing to  catch  a  further  glimpse  of  his  great  companion 
and  teacher,  we  do  not  know.  The  Scripture  solemnly 
says,  "He  saw  him  no  more."  Alas!  the  hour  cometh 
to  us  all,  when  those  upon  whom  we  lean,  our  teach- 
ers and  our  mainstays,  must  be  taken,  leaving  us  to 
get  our  bearings  as  best  we  can,  and  carry  on  the  un- 
finished task.  Elisha,  after  a  custom  of  his  day,  and 
in  token  of  his  grief,  rent  his  garment  into  two  pieces. 
Then  observing  the  mantle  of  Elijah  lying  on  the 
ground  nearby,  he  took  it  up,  and  lo,  when  he  smote 
the  water  of  the  Jordan  with  the  mantle  of  Jehovah, 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH  83 


they  divided  hither  and  thither,  even  as  they  had  done 
for  Elijah. 

god's  law  of  succession  is  demonstrated  in 
this  dramatic  old  testament  incident 

God  calls  one  worker  from  his  post  of  duty  only 
to  summon  another  to  take  his  place.  "The  King  is 
dead;  long  live  the  King,"  is  more  than  an  ancient 
custom,  it  is  a  token  of  the  divine  law  of  succession. 
When  a  particularly  useful  person  dies  or  is  called  from 
one  field  of  activity  to  another,  we  are  filled  with  a  great 
fear  lest  the  work  not  only  suffer  but  cease  altogether. 
We  forget  that  no  individual  is  wholly  indispensable 
and  that  however  able  he  was,  the  day  will  dawn  when 
he  must  give  place  to  another.  The  world  goes  for- 
ward after  the  fashion  of  a  gigantic  relay  race. 
"Others  have  labored  and  ye  have  entered  into  their 
labors,"  is  a  truth  which  admits  of  wide  application. 

"Pis  weary  watching  day  by  day, 
And  yet  the  tide  heaves  onward; 
We  build  like  corals  grave  on  grave 
But  pave  a  path  that's  sunward. 

This  process  is  not  only  inevitable,  it  is  also  wise 
and  beneficent.  Emerson's  noble  words  in  his  "Com- 
pensation" are  to  the  point. 

"We  cannot  part  with  our  friends.  We  cannot  let 
our  angels  go.  We  do  not  see  that  they  only  go  out 
that  archangels  may  come  in.  We  are  idolaters  of  the 
old.  We  do  not  believe  in  the  riches  of  the  soul,  in  its 
proper  eternity  and  omnipresence.  We  do  not  believe 
there  is  any  force  in  today  to  rival  or  recreate  that 


84    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


beautiful  yesterday.  We  linger  in  the  ruins  of  the 
old  tent,  where  once  we  had  bread  and  shelter  and 
organs,  nor  believe  that  the  spirit  can  feed,  cover,  and 
nerve  us  again.  We  cannot  again  find  aught  so  dear, 
so  sweet,  so  graceful.  But  we  sit  and  weep  in  vain. 
The  voice  of  the  Almighty  saith,  'Up  and  onward 
for  evermore!'  We  cannot  stay  amid  the  ruins. 
Neither  will  we  rely  on  the  new;  and  so  we  walk  ever 
with  reverted  eyes,  like  those  monsters  who  look  back- 
wards." 

The  infinite  variety  of  personality  gives  color  and 
substance  to  history ;  supplies  vine  and  rock  to  society. 
One  Grand  Canyon  is  enough  for  a  Continent;  one 
Elijah  for  a  generation ;  one  Jesus  Christ  for  all  times. 
But  thousands  of  ravines  and  valleys  compose  the 
earth;  millions  of  ruggedly  honest  men  supply  the  salt 
of  society,  and  a  host  who  possess  the  Lord  Christ's 
heart  furnish  light  for  the  world. 

That  God  has  ready  always  a  great  leader  when 
the  fullness  of  time  has  come,  is  a  familiar  saying  and 
true.  Stephen,  the  young  Christian  martyr,.,  was  cut 
off  in  his  glorious  prime,  but  there  stood  by  witnessing 
his  death,  and  profoundly  influenced  by  it,  a  Saul  of 
Tarsus  who  would  take  the  wondrous  story  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Dr.  Livingstone  died 
in  the  heart  of  Africa;  died  on  his  knees  in  prayer, 
prematurely  old  and  broken,  his  labors  apparently 
ended,  but  when  the  story  of  his  heroic  career  was 
given  to  the  world,  thousands  were  moved  to  follow 
in  his  steps.  When  Major  McKinley,  the  gentle  and 
urbane,  died  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  man  scarcely  past  middle  life  and  of  a 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH  85 


bold  impetuous  spirit,  the  Nation  almost  held  its  breath 
for  apprehension.  And  lo !  Colonel  Roosevelt  brought 
to  the  presidency  the  very  qualities  that  were  most 
needed  for  that  hour,  and  once  again  the  law  of  suc- 
cession was  justified  by  its  work. 

It  is  a  common  heresy  that  we  speak  and  act  as 
though  God  was  once  active  in  the  affairs  of  men,  but 
had  withdrawn  His  spirit  from  the  world,  leaving  us 
to  blunder  along  as  best  we  can,  dependent  solely  upon 
human  ingenuity  and  wisdom.  That  was  a  wise  word 
spoken  by  Garfield  from  the  balcony  of  a  New  York 
hotel  to  the  vast  throng  that  filled  the  street,  and 
seemed  utterly  dazed  by  the  news  of  Lincoln's  death. 
Quoting  first  from  the  ninety-seventh  Psalm,  that  man 
of  sturdy  faith  said :  "God  reigns  and  the  Government 
at  Washington  still  lives."  The  people  were  in  danger 
of  forgetting  that  the  God  of  Lincoln  was  still  active 
and  sovereign  over  all.  The  history  of  religious  con- 
troversy centers  around  human  leadership  and  the  spirit 
of  partyism.  In  the  Corinthian  Church  partyism  had 
its  birth  through  the  glorying  in  men,  rather  than  in 
God.  The  apostle  rebuked  the  tendency  sharply. 
"Wherefore  let  no  one  glory  in  men,"  he  said,  "For 
all  things  are  yours;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present 
or  things  to  come ;  all  are  yours ;  and  ye  are  Christ's, 
and  Christ  is  God's."  How  different  the  history  of 
Christianity  would  be  written  if  this  advice  had  always 
been  followed.  God  has  not  exhausted  Himself  in 
His  revelation  of  truth  to  any  man,  or  to  all  men. 
Give  each  teacher  his  just  dues,  but  do  not  set  Elisha 
over  against  Elijah;  Mary  against  Martha;  Peter 


86    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


against  Paul;  Calvin  against  Wesley;  General  Booth 
against  Bishop  Brooks.  Accept  every  teacher  for  what 
truth  he  has  to  offer  and  know  that  God  will  raise  up 
other  teachers  and  thereby  cause  increasing  light  to 
flood  the  great  issues  of  life  and  death. 

god's  method  of  succession  is  seen  in  this  old 
testament  episode 

God  uses  prepared  men  to  continue  the  work  laid 
down  by  their  predecessors.  Elijah's  mantle  did  not 
accidentally  fall  upon  Elisha.  The  younger  man  had 
been  schooled  under  the  older,  and  was  the  beneficiary 
of  his  companionship  and  counsel.  Elijah  called 
Elisha  from  the  field  where  the  young  man  was  plow- 
ing. He  cast  his  mantle  upon  him  at  that  time  as  a 
symbol  of  his  succession,  and  the  young  plowman  from 
that  day  became  Elijah's  companion.  It  was  after  this 
calling  of  Elisha  that  some  of  the  deepest  experiences 
of  Elijah's  career  took  place.  The  wrong  done  Naboth 
by  King  Ahab,  and  the  prophet's  fiery  denunciation  of 
the  King  occurred  after  his  choice  of  Elisha.  During 
those  full  and  eventful  days  we  have  no  record  of 
Elisha,  but  we  rightfully  assume  that  for  much  of  the 
time  he  was  with  the  great  prophet  and  learning  of  him. 
In  one  place  the  Scriptures  refer  to  Elisha  as  "The  son 
of  Shaphat,  who  poured  water  on  the  hands  of  Elijah." 
Yes,  he  was  a  servant  of  Elijah,  but  more  than  a  serv- 
ant. Gehazi  was  a  servant  of  Elisha,  but  never  more 
than  a  servant.  Propinquity  to  a  great  man  cannot  of 
itself  make  a  prophet,  but  given  the  essential  quality 
of  mind  and  affections,  and  propinquity  may  be  fruitful 
exceedingly. 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH  87 


It  is  important  that  we  observe  the  human  factor  in 
the  Divine  law  of  succession,  and  the  responsibility 
thereof.  One  way  that  God  raises  up  successors  to 
great  leaders  is  through  the  training  of  successors  by 
the  leaders  themselves.  Moses  had  his  Joshua;  Elijah 
his  Elisha;  Jesus  His  twelve  apostles;  St.  Paul  his 
Timothy;  D.  L.  Moody  his  Henry  Drummond;  Fran- 
cis E.  Clark  his  Daniel  Poling.  Who  have  we  in 
training  to  receive  the  standard  from  our  trembling 
hands  and  carry  it  on  in  a  steadier  grasp?  Here  is  a 
responsibility  we  are  slow  to  acknowledge  in  matters 
spiritual.  In  business  this  responsibility  is  widely  rec- 
ognized and  freely  accepted.  Most  fathers  recognize 
it  and  are  not  unfaithful  to  their  duty.  They  look  for- 
ward to  the  day  when  their  sons  shall  succeed  them  in 
business  or  profession,  and  to  prepare  them,  for  this  is 
a  thing  of  pride  and  joy.  Most  mothers  are  ambitious 
that  their  daughters  shall  succeed  them  in  social  and 
domestic  life,  and  spare  no  pains  to  train  them  to  be- 
come ideal  hostesses.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  ad- 
vise parents  to  train  their  children  for  society  and  busi- 
ness; they  will  see  to  that.  But,  alas!  how  few  are 
concerned  with  preparing  the  oncoming  generation  for 
Spiritual  service.  And  yet  there  can  be  no  adequately 
trained  Elishas  except  there  be  Elijahs  willing  to  choose 
and  discipline  their  disciples. 

The  greatest  popular  pastime  in  America  is  baseball. 
Prodigious  sums  of  money  are  represented  in  this 
amusement  which  annually  draws  a  patronage  running 
into  many  millions.  In  order  that  worthy  successors 
may  be  found  for  the  famous  players  who  command 
fabulous  sums  for  their  services,  a  nation-wide  search 


88   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


is  carried  on  annually  under  carefully  trained  scouts. 
No  village  is  considered  too  small,  or  community  too 
remote  for  these  men  to  visit,  if  there  is  possible  ma- 
terial for  a  great  catcher,  pitcher,  fielder  or  baseman. 

What  of  the  Church  and  succession  in  its  leaderships 
for  the  ministry,  the  mission  field,  the  Christian  col- 
lege, the  local  congregation?  The  solemn  truth  is  that 
the  paucity  of  available  material  is  pathetic  and  wholly 
alarming.  The  average  nowadays  Christian  home  is 
not  only  indifferent  to  this  need  but  sometimes  even 
hostile  to  son  or  daughter  preparing  for  such  a  career. 
Time  was  when  the  fondest  hope  of  a  God-fearing 
parent  was  to  give  a  son  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word. 
The  present  generation,  however,  is  receiving  small 
encouragement  toward  any  definite  religious  life.  The 
prophet  in  religion  has  given  way  to  the  promoter,  and 
the  lure  of  the  material  has  blinded  the  eyes  of  young 
and  old  to  spiritual  gifts. 

Men  and  women  who  love  the  Church  of  the  living 
God — whom  have  you  in  training  to  receive  your 
mantle  ?  Honored  parents  of  Christian  ideals — are  you 
raising  up  sons  and  daughters  who  can  be  counted  upon 
to  serve  and  sacrifice  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven? 
Teachers,  and  workers  in  the  Sunday  school, — have  you 
inspired  among  your  pupils  those  who  will  continue 
your  labors  when  you  are  called  higher  ?  Office  bearers, 
— are  you  consciously  and  constructively  shaping  the 
lives  of  the  young  people  to  follow  your  footsteps,  to 
assume  responsibility,  and  accept  posts  of  duty?  Min- 
ister of  the  Word, — do  you  know  definitely  that  among 
the  young  men  and  women  of  your  congregation  there 
are  those  who  are  preparing  for  service  in  home  or  for- 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH 


89 


eign  field  as  ambassadors  of  Jesus  Christ?  Upon  the 
kind  of  an  answer  present-day  leaders  make  to  these 
questions  impend  issues  of  immeasurable  worth.  The 
mantle  of  Elijah  awaits  an  Elisha,  Elijah-trained. 

god's  law  of  succession  is  a  distinct  challenge 
to  the  individual 

Elijah's  mantle  did  not  fall  directly  on  the  shoulders 
of  Elisha,  it  fluttered  to  the  ground  a  little  distance 
apart.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  take  the  mantle 
up,  by  that  token  he  showed  the  mettle  of  his  manhood. 
The  mantle  of  leadership  does  not  drop  mysteriously 
from  the  sky  and  gracefully  entwine  itself  about  the 
shoulders  of  the  chosen  one.  Men  who  scheme  to  step 
into  other  men's  shoes  are  doomed  to  wear  their  own, 
however  bad  their  state  of  repair.  Leaders  are  usually 
called  to  new  opportunities  of  leadership  when  they 
are  so  busily  preoccupied  with  their  work  that  they  have 
no  time  to  be  casting  covetous  glances  toward  some 
other  position.  Elijah  chose  Elisha,  that  is  half  the 
successorship ;  Elisha  served  a  faithful  apprenticeship, 
and  when  his  master's  mantle  fell  to  earth  he  took  it 
up — that  is  the  other  half. 

Society  has  yet  to  know  a  surplus  of  real  leaders, 
trained  workers  are  always  at  a  premium.  It  may  not 
be  always  true  that  the  world  will  beat  a  path  through 
the  woods  to  the  home  of  the  man  who  writes  a  better 
book,  makes  a  better  mouse  trap,  or  preaches  a  better 
sermon  than  his  neighbor,  but  ninety-eight  times  out 
of  a  hundred  it  is  true.  Mediocrity  needs  to  be  safe- 
guarded against  discouragement,  but  the  time  will 
never  be  when  perseverance  and  diligence  do  not  com- 


90    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


mand  a  reward.  However  far  society  may  go  in  mass- 
movements,  and  it  will  likely  go  a  long  way,  individual 
initiative  cannot  be  impaired  without  serious  loss  and 
possible  disaster. 

To  wear  the  mantle  of  Elijah  is  not  to  be  a  mere 
imitator.  Elisha  was  most  unlike  Elijah.  The  older 
prophet  loved  the  wilderness  and  solitary  places,  the 
younger,  the  city  and  the  camps  of  Israel's  armies.  The 
Tishbite  was  stern  and  of  fiery  intensity;  the  son  of 
Shaphat  was  milder,  gentler,  yet  withal  firm  and  un- 
compromising with  evil.  Imitators  there  are  of  every 
great  leader,  men  who  simulate  voice,  gesture,  and 
even  foibles,  but  the  true  successor  possesses  the  spirit 
and  preserves  his  own  individuality. 

If  we  wish  the  mantle  of  Elijah  we  shall  have  to 
make  ourselves  worthy  of  it.  In  order  to  do  as  much 
as  our  fathers  we  shall  have  to  do  more.  To  be  as  good 
as  our  fathers  we  shall  have  to  be  better.  We  stand 
upon  their  shoulders,  we  are  the  beneficiaries  of  their 
labor  and  love.  We  may  not  be  able  to  match  their 
strong  intellects  or  their  rugged  characters  inured  by 
hardship  and  exposure,  but  we  ought  to  be  able  to  sur- 
pass them  in  the  use  of  the  wider  knowledge  and  the 
accumulated  heritage  that  is  ours.  Our  temptation  is 
to  tarry  at  the  place  where  they  laid  down  the  burden. 
Our  tendency  is  to  camp  around  the  spot  and  to  estab- 
lish the  banner  where  they  battled.  But  we  cannot  be 
true  to  their  memory  unless  we  go  forward  and  plant 
that  banner  on  higher  ground. 

Elijah's  mantle  was  the  symbol  of  the  choice  of 
Elisha  to  continue  the  prophet's  ministry.  In  the  upper 
room  in  Jerusalem  Jesus  breathed  upon  His  disciples, 


THE  MANTLE  OF  ELIJAH 


91 


symbolic  of  His  Spirit  that  was  soon  to  come  upon 
them.  He  was  parted  from  that  chosen  group  while  in 
the  very  act  of  blessing  them.  In  that  parting  He  con- 
ferred upon  them  no  insignia  of  authority  that  the 
eye  could  see.  There  fell  from  Him  no  visible  mantle, 
but  they  possessed  His  promise  and  that  was  enough 
until  fulfillment  came.  The  disciples  tarried  in  prayer 
and  expectancy,  and  upon  them  thus  gathered,  His 
Spirit  came  in  fullness  and  power.  Jesus  was  not  an 
exception  to  God's  law  of  succession;  He  left  no  suc- 
cessor, but  He  left  many  successors.  "In  going,"  says 
Bishop  Brent,  "Christ  came  in  a  fullness  which  was 
wanting  before  He  went,  the  fullness  of  added  availa- 
bility, a  higher  degree  of  presence." 

Elisha  prayed  for  a  double  portion  of  Elijah's  spirit, 
and  thereby  received  his  mantle.  The  mantle  without 
the  spirit  was  a  cast-off  garment,  a  mere  piece  of  cloth, 
but  as  a  symbol  of  the  spirit  it  was  an  eloquent  reminder 
of  the  great  prophet  who  wore  it  becomingly  and  with 
power.  Jesus,  in  granting  His  Spirit  gave  more  than 
the  disciples  had  dared  to  ask,  and  thus  He  gives  us 
of  Himself  today — superabundantly — if  we  will  but 
receive  Him.  . 

So  stir  me  Lord  that  I  may 
Give  myself  so  back  to  Thee 
That  Thou  mayest  give 
Thyself  again  through  me. 


VII 


HABAKKUK'S  HYMN 

A  Meditation  on  the  Winged  Words  of  an  Old 
Testament  Saint 


Habakkuk  3:17-19. 

For  though  the  fig  tree  shall  not  flourish, 

Neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines; 

The  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail, 

And  the  fields  shall  yield  no  food; 

The  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold, 

And  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls : 

Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah, 

I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation. 

Jehovah,  the  Lord,  is  my  strength; 

And  He  maketh  my  feet  like  hinds'  feet, 

And  will  make  me  to  walk  upon  my  high  places. 


VII 


HABAKKUK'S  HYMN 

This  noble  Scripture  is  a  rich  discovery  in  an  unex- 
pected place.  For  that  matter,  life  is  full  of  surprises. 
How  often  we  come  unexpectedly  upon  new  discoveries. 
We  take  up  a  book  more  or  less  familiar;  we  think 
we  know  it  by  heart ;  and  lo !  among  its  score  of  chap- 
ters and  thousands  of  words  we  find  in  some  obscure 
paragraph  a  passage  of  extraordinary  worth.  We  set 
out  to  journey  over  a  familiar  road ;  we  think  we  know 
its  every  landmark,  and  then,  to  our  surprise,  we  come 
suddenly  upon  a  landscape  of  great  beauty.  We  enjoy 
the  association  of  a  dear  friend,  of  such  long  standing 
that  we  believe  we  know  him  thoroughly,  only  to  dis- 
cover some  day  as  by  a  flash  of  lightning  a  new  trait, 
a  surprising  courage,  or  some  talent  we  never  dreamed 
of  his  possessing.  Thus  it  is  with  this  Book  of  books ; 
we  think  we  know  it  fairly  well,  only  to  discover  some- 
times in  the  most  casual  way,  new  riches,  new  beauties, 
new  wisdom. 

Comparatively  few  readers  of  the  Bible  are  familiar 
with  the  book  of  Habakkuk.  An  exceeding  great  num- 
ber would  find  it  difficult  to  turn  to  it  promptly.  We 
know  nothing  of  Habakkuk  save  what  may  be  inferred 
from  this  book  that  bears  his  name.  He  probably 
flourished  in  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  that  evil  King 
95 


96    WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


who  deliberately  cut  to  pieces  certain  portions  of  the 
Scriptures  that  were  disagreeable  to  him.  Habakkuk 
is  known  as  one  of  the  minor  prophets,  yet  here  is  an 
utterance  worthy  of  a  Jeremiah,  an  Isaiah  or  an  Ezekiel. 
Thank  God  minor  prophets  may  sometimes  be  majors 
in  the  army  of  the  Lord ! 

While  it  is  true  that  Habakkuk  is  unknown  to  most 
readers  of  the  Scriptures,  his  brief  but  valuable  book 
has  rewarded  many  diligent  students  of  the  Word. 

Daniel  Webster,  in  a  conversation  with  some  friends, 
was  asked  his  preference  as  to  portions  of  the  Bible. 
In  reply  he  said,  "The  masterpiece  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, of  course,  is  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  As  to 
the  Old  Testament  writings,  my  favorite  book  is  that 
of  Habakkuk ;  and  my  favorite  verses  in  chapter  three 
— seventeen  and  eighteen :  'For  though  the  fig  tree  shall 
not  flourish,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vine ;  the  labor 
of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  field  shall  yield  no  food ; 
the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  shall 
be  no  herd  in  the  stall;  yet  I  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah, 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation.'  This,"  con- 
tinued Webster,  "I  regard  as  one  of  the  sublime  pas- 
sages of  literature;  and  often  have  I  wondered  that 
some  artist  equal  to  the  task  has  not  selected  the 
prophet  and  the  scene  of  his  desolation  as  the  subject 
of  a  painting." 

The  fact  that  this  unusually  fine  passage  is  in  an 
obscure  book  of  the  Bible  suggests  that  other  undis- 
covered jewels  are  scattered  throughout  the  Scriptures. 
Every  one  who  searches  the  Scriptures  for  worthy 
goals  may  expect  to  be  amply  rewarded.  One  would 
hesitate  to  say  that  we  are  too  familiar  with  the  four- 


HABAKKUK'S  HYMN 


97 


teenth  of  John,  the  twenty-third  Psalm,  the  thirteenth 
of  First  Corinthians,  or  the  eighth  of  Romans;  but  it 
is  lamentably  true  that  we  are  unfamiliar  with  many 
portions  of  the  Scriptures  wrongly  deemed  unimportant 
and  commonplace. 

i 

These  winged  words  of  Habakkuk,  in  which  he  vows 
that  whether  or  not  his  fields  prosper  or  his  flocks  in- 
crease, he  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah,  approach  a  defini- 
tion of  the  nature  of  real  religion.  Religion  is  a  diffi- 
cult term  to  define,  and  many  misleading  definitions 
have  been  written.  In  Acts,  the  seventeenth  chapter, 
Paul  in  his  speech  in  Athens  tells  his  hearers  that  they 
are  very  religious,  but  the  word  literally  means  "super- 
stitious" or  "demon-fearing."  In  James,  the  first  chap- 
ter and  twenty-seventh  verse,  "pure  religion  and  unde- 
filed  before  our  God  and  Father"  is  described  as  "vis- 
iting the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction  and 
keeping  oneself  unspotted  from  the  world."  This  is- 
not  a  definition  of  religion,  but  a  description  of  a  prac- 
tical expression  of  the  same,  and  a  good  one,  too.  In 
attempting  to  define  religion,  we  usually  fall  into  the 
error  of  selecting  an  aspect  of  religion  and  defining 
the  whole  by  a  part. 

There  is,  for  example,  a  ceremonial  religion — a  view 
of  God  that  expresses  itself  in  punctilious  observance 
of  form.  The  Pharisees  stressed  this  kind  of  reli- 
gion ;  they  made  the  form  an  end  instead  of  a  means. 
Forms  have  their  places  in  religion  and  ceremonies 
their  uses.  We  may  properly  think  of  forms  and  cere- 
monies as  the  A-B-C  of  religion.   One  should  use  them 


98   WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


as  he  uses  the  alphabet;  that  is,  having  learned  the 
■alphabet,  he  passes  on  to  the  creation  of  sentences, 
paragraphs,  and  the  formation  of  a  vocabulary.  But 
there  are  those  who  use  form  and  ceremony  as  goals, 
instead  of  vehicles  to  the  goal. 

There  is  also  a  propositional  or  creedal  religion,  an 
intellectual  assent  to  a  truth  or  doctrine.  Now,  correct 
thinking  is  good,  yes,  more,  it  is  necessary,  but  it  is 
not  of  itself  sufficient.  The  Scriptures  tell  us  that 
"even  the  demons  believe  and  tremble."  Devils  are  al- 
ways orthodox.  The  assent  of  the  mind  to  a  doctrine, 
even  a  Christian  doctrine,  may  or  may  not  be  really 
religious.  Intellectual  acceptance  of  Christian  doctrine 
is  the  beginning  of  a  saving  faith  in  God  through 
Jesus  Christ,  but  belief  itself  is  not  trust  save  as  the 
bud  is  the  flower. 

Still  again,  there  is  a  devotional  religion.  A  wor- 
shipful service  makes  a  direct  appeal  to  the  nature  of 
some  persons  whose  lives  are  not  really  righteous,  but 
who  are  charmed  by  thet  esthetic  effect  of  prayer  or 
preaching,  and  the  mystery  and  spiritual  romance  that 
haloes  the  house  of  God.  The  devotional  spirit  enters 
largely  into  real  religion,  but  it  is  not  the  whole  of 
religion. 

There  is  likewise  a  practical  or  humanitarian  religion 
which  consists  in  deeds  of  mercy — a  religion  of  min- 
istry to  body  and  mind ;  a  religion  that  stresses  the  idea 
of  burden  bearing  and  succoring  the  unfortunate.  It 
may  ignore  or  profess  to  ignore  the  institutional  side 
of  religion  and  even  repudiate  the  creedal  and  the 
formal.  Such  a  practical  and  necessary  serving  of 
humanity  is  a  large  part  of  religion,  but  it  is  not  all. 


HABAKKUK'S  HYMN 


99 


Habakkuk  was  not  a  stranger  to  ceremonial  religion. 
As  a  devout  Jew  the  various  rites  of  purification,  the 
numerous  sacrifices  and  offerings,  the  tithing  even  of 
the  smallest  herbs — all  these  were  probably  observed 
by  him.  Undoubtedly  he  had  given  intellectual  assent 
to  the  truths  that  are  embodied  in  the  decalogue.  We 
may  well  believe  that  he  found  pleasure  in  the  stately 
temple  service,  the  majestic  order  of  worship,  the  an- 
tiphonal  choirs — that  these  found  and  fed  the  soul  of 
the  prophet.  We  know  that  his  religion  was  practical 
and  that  it  was  social  as  well  as  individualistic.  Was 
it  not  this  same  brave  soul  who  wrote,  "Woe  to  him 
that  getteth  an  evil  gain  for  his  house,  that  he  may  set 
his  nest  on  high  that  he  may  be  delivered  from  the 
hand  of  evil !  Woe  to  him  that  buildeth  a  town  with 
blood  and  establish  a  city  by  iniquity." 

ii 

Habukkuk  avers  in  this  personal  confession  of  faith 
that  his  trust  in  God  does  not  depend  upon  the  success 
of  his  crops,  the  vintage  of  his  grapes,  nor  his  jars  of 
olives,  his  flocks  and  his  herds.  He  may  lose  a  part  or 
all  but  that  will  make  no  difference  to  his  devotion  to 
God.  However  distressing  and  hard  his  experience,  he 
means  that  his  faith  shall  triumph.  He  exclaims  ex- 
ultantly: "I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation."  He 
goes  still  further  although  it  would  seem  that  he  has 
gone  as  far  as  possible  in  his  avowals  of  loyalty  and 
trust.  He  makes  use  in  the  closing  verse  of  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  poetic  of  allusions  to  be  found  in 
the  Scriptures.  He  climaxes  his  great  affirmation,  that 
he  will  trust  God  whate'er  befall  him,  with  these  pic- 


100  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


torial  words:  "God  maketh  my  feet  like  hind's  feet 
and  will  make  me  to  walk  on  my  high  places." 

Habakkuk  must  have  been  familiar  with  the  moun- 
tain stag  or  gazelle,  one  of  the  most  nimble,  graceful, 
and  fleetest  of  creatures.  The  hinds  make  their  homes 
in  the  upper  regions  of  the  mountains  where  they  are 
undisturbed  by  hunter's  dog  or  his  master.  From  these 
secure  retreats  they  venture  down  the  mountain-side 
to  feed  on  the  succulent  roots  and  herbage.  When  dis- 
turbed in  their  grazing  by  an  enemy  they  disappear  as 
if  by  magic,  their  feet  fairly  twinkling  in  flashes  of 
speed;  and  when  next  one  sees  them  they  are  far  up 
the  mountain  safe  from  harm  in  the  high  places  with 
impassable  barriers  between  them  and  their  foe.  Habak- 
kuk means  to  say  that  when  the  world  seems  against 
him  and  everything  has  gone  wrong,  his  spirit  bounds 
as  the  hind  and  is  carried  up  into  the  high  places  where 
the  armies  of  Jehovah  are  around  and  about  him,  pro- 
tecting him.  There  is  an  echo  of  the  same  thought  in 
Isaiah.  "They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength,  they  shall  mount  up  with  the  wings  of 
eagles,  they  shall  run  and  be  not  weary,  they  shall  walk 
and  faint  not."  It  is  an  exultant  faith  when  one  is  able 
so  to  live.  It  is  a  triumphant  trust.  It  is  real  religion 
where  God  is  loved  for  His  own  sake  and  not  because 
of  any  material  reward. 

in 

One  sees  in  this  seraphic  passage  of  Scripture  a 
spiritual  declaration  of  independence.  The  soul  is  no 
longer  in  bondage  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  the  ceremony 
or  the  creed.    The  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil  have 


HABAKKUK'S  HYMN  101 


lost  their  power  to  enthrall.  God  is  served  for  His 
own  sake.  Here  is  a  religion  with  all  of  self  washed 
out;  a  spiritual  yet  practical  faith  needs  no  defense, 
and  is  impervious  to  criticism.  Here  is  a  confidence 
in  thq  Divine  like  that  of  the  afflicted  patriarch  who 
cried  amid  his  suffering — "Though  he  slay  me  yet  will 
I  trust  him."  Here  is  a  real  religion — no  artifice,  no 
hypocrisy,  no  mistaken  emphasis  or  reversing  of  the 
Divine  order.  Here  is  the  top  round  of  the  ladder  of 
faith.  This  is  the  kind  of  religion  that  Paul  had  in 
mind  when  he  wrote,  "But  the  fruit  of  the  spirit  is  love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  kindness,  goodness,  faith- 
fulness, meekness,  self-control.  Against  such  there  is 
no  law."  Here  is  a  sublime  confidence  in  God  such 
as  Jesus  taught  in  the  sermon  on  the  Mount.  "If  God 
doth  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field,  which  today  is, 
and  tomorrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  shall  He  not  much 
more  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith?" 

We  praise  God  for  Habakkuk,  that  brave  soul  of  the 
long  ago.  We  know  so  little  about  him ;  we  know  less 
of  him  than  the  world  knows  of  Shakespeare,  and  that 
is  precious  little.  We  do  not  know  how  this  prophet 
looked ;  the  color  of  his  eyes,  the  profile  of  his  face,  the 
tone  of  his  voice.  Yet,  notwithstanding,  we  can  almost 
feel  the  throbbing  of  his  heart  as  we  read  his  great 
hymn  of  faith.  Across  the  centuries  he  speaks  to  us 
and  bids  us  to  be  brave ;  he  calls  upon  us  to  love  God  for 
His  own  sake  and  to  serve  Him  without  fear,  regard- 
less of  the  storms  that  beat  upon  us  and  the  doubts  and 
difficulties  that  pursue  us. 


VIII 

THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER 
An  Elementary  Lesson  in  the  Greatest  of  Schools 


Genesis  28:12. 

And  he  dreamed;  and,  behold,  a  ladder  set 
up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to 
heaven ;  and,  behold,  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 
ing and  descending  on  it. 

Luke  11  :i. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  He  was  praying  in  a 
certain  place,  that  when  He  ceased,  one  of  His 
disciples  said  unto  Him,  Lord,  teach  us  to 
pray,  even  as  John  also  taught  his  disciples. 


VIII 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER 

"The  history  of  prayer  is  the  history  of  religion," 
declares  Sabatier.  In  truth,  the  history  of  prayer  is 
the  history  of  the  human  race.  However  benighted  or 
barbarous,  man  has  always  prayed  though  his  prayers 
have  often  been  crude  and  mechanical.  Between  that 
far-away  time  when  Jacob  saw  in  the  vision  of  the 
night  a  ladder  reaching  from  earth  to  heaven,  and  the 
days  when  Jesus  of  Nazareth  prayed  as  never  man 
prayed  before  or  since,  the  idea  of  prayer  has  under- 
gone decided  change  and  experienced  marked  growth. 
The  conception  of  prayer  is  not  the  same  in  both  the 
Old  and  the  New  Testament,  nor  is  this  surprising 
since  the  revelation  of  God  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  is 
progressive,  reaching  its  apex  in  the  life  and  ministry 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Just  how  largely  the  idea  of  prayer 
is  developed  in  the  Scriptures  may  be  seen  by  a  com- 
parison of  the  teachings  and  examples  of  prayer  in 
the  Old  Testament  with  that  of  the  New.  In  the  for- 
mer, prayer  is  for  the  most  part  to  a  localized  God, 
due  to  the  belief  that  some  places  were  holier  than 
others;  in  the  latter  prayer  is  to  an  omnipresent  God 
who  hears  the  cry  of  His  children  without  regard  to 
place  or  time.  In  the  Old  Testament  the  prayers  of  the 
people  are  nationalistic  and  encrusted  with  the  proud 
105 


106  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


belief  that  Jehovah  is  the  God  of  the  Jew  only.  In 
the  New,  the  teaching  is  of  a  universal  Father,  a  God 
who  is  not  a  respecter  of  persons,  race  or  conditions. 
In  the  Old  Testament  the  approach  to  God  is  largely — 
though  not  altogether — through  priestly  mediation.  In 
the  New  it  is  taught  that  the  lowliest  of  earth  can 
go  to  the  heavenly  Father  without  any  mediator  other 
than  the  great  High  Priest  who  can  be  touched  with 
the  feeling  of  our  infirmity.  Finally,  the  prayer  for 
vengeance  which  is  found  occasionally  in  the  Old 
Testament  gives  place  in  the  New  to  prayer  for  one's 
enemies.  Samson's  dying  prayer  as  he  twined  his  arms 
about  the  pillars  of  the  Philistinian  palace  and  entreated 
Jehovah  to  help  him  avenge  his  enemies,  suffers  when 
compared  with  the  prayer  of  dying  Stephen  for  those 
who  stoned  him — "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
charge." 

It  is  interesting  to  think  of  prayer  as  a  ladder  fash- 
ioned after  the  similitude  of  Jacob's  dream,  a  ladder 
reaching  from  lowly  earth  to  highest  heaven,  a  mystic 
means  of  communion  between  man  and  God,  a  lumi- 
nous pathway  of  the  spirit.  Jacob  created  his  ladder  out 
of  his  dreams  and  in  like  manner  we  build  the  ladder 
of  prayer  as  we  grow  in  grace  and  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound, 
We  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 

From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies, 
And  we  mount  to  the  summit  round  by  round. 

I 

The  first  round  in  the  ladder  is  "saying"  a  prayer. 
This  is  the  most  elementary  kind  of  praying  in  the 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER 


107 


school  of  Christ.  It  may  be,  and  frequently  is,  purely 
mechanical.  It  is  the  repetition  of  certain  words  or 
phrases,  but  with  the  definite  and  dominate  idea  that 
God  is,  that  He  hears  and  is  able  to  help  us.  Children 
"say  prayer s — verses"  which  have  been  taught  them  by 
parents  or  guardians  to  whom  their  upbringing  is  en- 
trusted. And  this  custom  is  tender,  beautiful  and  al- 
together wholesome.  Think  of  the  unnumbered  hosts 
of  children  who  every  day  repeat  that  simple,  yet  lovely 
prayer  of  childhood. 

Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep ; 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep. 
If  I  should  die  before  I  wake, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  take. 
This  I  ask  for  Jesus'  sake. 

We  expect  children  to  say  prayers,  but  grown  up 
people  also  say  prayers.  There  are  groups  of  devoted 
Christians  belonging  to  historic  churches  who  never 
pray  without  the  use  of  formal  prayer  or  ritual. 
Whether  the  habitual  use — in  worship — of  a  form  of 
prayer  becomes  formal  or  lifeless  depends  upon  the 
one  who  prays.  To  repeat  a  prayer  without  any 
thought  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  words — but  mechani- 
cally— is  not  to  pray  but  to  say  a  prayer.  When  the 
disciples  of  John  asked  Jesus  to  teach  them  to  pray, 
He  gave  them  a  model  prayer  which  has  been  called, 
for  some  reason  not  entirely  clear,  the  "Lord's  Prayer." 
It  may  be  questioned  whether  Jesus  gave  this  prayer  for 
such  a  use  as  we  moderns  make  of  it.  I  think  He  gave 
it  to  His  disciples  as  a  pattern  by  which  they  were  to 
fashion  their  own  prayers;  we  use  it  as  a  form.  There 
can  be  no  good  reason  for  objection  to  its  use  as  a  form 


108  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


provided  it  is  not  used  solely  as  such.  "Saying  a 
prayer"  is  better  than  not  praying  at  all.  It  is  the  first 
lesson  in  the  prayer  primer.  It  is  the  lowest  round  on 
the  prayer  ladder. 

ii 

The  second  round  is  praying  a  prayer.  This  is  a 
distinct  advance  over  saying  a  prayer.  It  is  the  differ- 
ence of  putting  a  roll  of  music  on  a  piano  player  and 
manipulating  the  same,  and  the  playing  of  the  music 
through  the  mastery  of  the  keyboard.  Here  is  where 
the  worshiper  passes  from  mere  repetition  to  conscious 
communion  with  God.  A  formal  prayer  can  be  used 
to  the  good  of  man  and  the  glory  of  God.  I  believe  in 
extempore  prayer  and  utilize  it  in  public  services  con- 
stantly; but  there  are  times  when  I  cannot  frame  suit- 
able sentences  of  my  own;  times  when  the  mind  is 
weary  and  the  spirit  lags;  times  when  a  noble  liturgy 
becomes  a  necessity  and  a  blessing. 

That  awful  night  the  Titanic  went  down  amid  the 
wild  terror  of  iceberg  and  frightful  expanse  of  an  un- 
plumbed  sea,  a  dozen  men  and  women  clung  to  a  frail 
raft  and  battled  desperately  for  life.  Only  a  few  sur- 
vived the  terrible  exposure.  Colonel  Gracie,  a  dis- 
tinguished American,  was  one  who  lived  to  tell  the 
story.  He  has  left  the  testimony  that  as  he  and  his 
fellow  unfortunates  clung  to  the  raft;  their  bodies 
immersed  in  the  icy  water;  the  cold  stars  over  their 
heads  and  the  cries  of  dying  in  their  ears ;  they  repeated 
together,  and  over  and  over  again  the  familiar  words: 

Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name, 
Thy  kingdom  come,  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
heaven — 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER  109 


And  so  on  to  the  end  and  over  and  over  again.  Be 
sure  those  shipwrecked  men  and  women  did  not  say 
that  prayer;  they  prayed  as  they  repeated  the  precious 
petitions ;  they  prayed  as  they  thus  communed  with  the 
holy  Father;  prayed  in  intensity,  in  hope,  in  faith. 
The  age-old  model  prayer  became  that  night  a  ladder 
reaching  from  the  cold  waters  of  the  Atlantic  to  heaven 
and  the  Father's  house  of  many  mansions. 

in 

The  third  round  in  the  ladder  of  prayer  is  praying 
for  self.  Here  one  recognizes  personal  need  and  ex- 
presses it  in  petition  or  supplication.  The  beginning 
of  prayer  for  self  is  usually  almost  wholly  petition, 
and  self -centered  at  that.  What  we  ask  God  for  mir- 
rors our  inner  life.  Our  petitions  of  yesterday  do  not 
look  well  in  the  light  of  today,  and  they  may  possibly 
shrivel  more  in  the  light  of  tomorrow.  It  is  possible 
to  mark  the  transformation  of  character  by  the  differ- 
ence in  the  character  and  object  of  our  prayers.  The 
Prodigal  Son  in  the  earlier  stage  of  his  career  prayed, 
"Give  me  the  portion  of  goods  that  falleth  to  me." 
How  different  his  accent  after  the  "far  country"  ex- 
perience, when  broken  and  contrite  he  prayed :  "Make 
me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants."  As  far  as  the  east 
is  from  the  west,  so  far  apart  in  spirit  are  the  petitions 
"give  me"  and  "make  me."  Like  the  prodigal,  we  too 
have  prayed  the  "give  me"  prayers;  "give  me  pleasure, 
give  me  fame,  give  me  prestige,  give  me  money,  give 
me  worldly  success."  From  the  selfish  prayer  "give 
me,"  we  must  turn  to  the  noble  "make  me"  petition; 
"make  me  true,  make  me  strong  to  do  the  right ;  make 


110  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


me  willing  to  suffer  for  truth" ;  thus  shall  we  grow  in 
Godliness. 

The  prayer  that  Jacob  offered  as  he  set  out  on  his 
journey  into  the  new  country  where  he  was  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  his  material  fortunes  is  selfish  and 
of  a  bargaining  nature.  He  vowed  a  vow  and  said, 
"If  God  will  be  with  me  and  will  keep  me  in  this  way 
that  I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat  and  raiment 
to  put  on — then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God."  Contrast 
this  petition  with  his  prayer  at  the  ford  of  the  river 
Jabbok  many  years  later  when  danger  threatened  him 
and  retribution  for  the  wrong  that  he  had  done  Esau 
seemed  close  at  hand.  That  night  alone  under  the 
Syrian  sky,  alone  with  his  conscience  and  his  God,  Ja- 
cob prayed :  "I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the 
mercies,  and  of  all  the  truth  which  thou  hast  showed 
unto  thy  servant."  It  is  to  be  expected  that  our  primary 
lessons  in  the  school  of  prayer  will  not  be  as  mature  and 
free  from  flaw  as  those  lessons  that  are  learned  in  the 
crucible  of  experience,  pain  and  suffering. 

The  prayers  of  the  Pharisee  and  the  publican  illus- 
trate extremes  and  a  notable  contrast  in  praying  for 
self.  The  Pharisee  prayed  thus  with  himself  and  for 
himself  :  "God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men 
are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as  this 
publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all 
that  I  possess."  And  the  publican  standing  afar  off 
would  not  lift  up  so  much  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but 
smote  upon  his  breast,  saying :  "God  be  merciful  to  me 
a  sinner."  We  have  the  judgment  of  our  Lord  Him- 
self, that  the  publican's  prayer  had  the  approval  of 
God.    Alas,  some  of  us  never  get  beyond  the  selfish 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER  111 


petition,  the  entreaty  for  personal  preference.  We  are 
more  concerned  with  "mine"  than  "Thine."  We  are 
submerged  in  what  Dr.  F.  B.  Meyers  calls  a  sea  of 
"meism." 

rv 

The  fourth  round  is  praying  for  others.  Here  one's 
prayer  life  assumes  a  nobler  spirit  and  deepens  and 
widens  like  the  channel  of  a  river  approaching  the 
waters  of  the  open  sea.  Intercession  with  God  for 
others  is  Christlike  and  of  the  ministry  mediatorial. 
It  is  worthy  of  comment  that  in  the  Old  Testament 
times  when  the  ideal  of  prayer  was  not  so  high  as  that 
taught  by  Jesus,  Samuel  frankly  acknowledged  the 
duty  of  praying  for  others  in  memorable  words.  Thus, 
when  he  retired  from  judging  of  Israel  and  gave  way 
to  Saul,  the  first  King,  he  said :  "Far  be  from  me  that 
I  should  sin  against  Jehovah  in  ceasing  to  pray  for 
you."  How  many  nowaday  Christians  regard  it  as  a 
sin  not  to  pray  for  others — pathetically  few,  let  us 
confess. 

It  is  difficult  to  overestimate  the  place  and  power 
of  intercessory  prayer.  Many  a  minister  has  been 
steadied  at  a  critical  time  and  enheartened  by  a  knowl- 
edge that  the  prayers  of  the  people  were  rising  daily  like 
incense,  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  him  and  his 
work.  Many  a  son  or  daughter  away  from  home,  out 
in  the  great  world  battling  with  strong  temptations, 
have  been  mightily  refreshed  by  the  thought  that 
mother's  prayer  never  ceases  to  rise  in  behalf  of  the 
absent  boy  or  girl.  I  confess  to  a  sense  of  wonder  and 
to  a  feeling  of  humility  whenever  requests  reach  me 


112  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


for  definite  personal  prayer  for  others.  Thus,  over  the 
telephone  one  day  an  unfamiliar  voice  said :  "I  heard 
your  sermon  yesterday ;  please  pray  for  me  that  I  may 
be  victor  in  a  fierce  temptation  that  threatens  me."  I 
open  my  mail  and  here  is  a  letter  from  a  little  girl  in  a 
hospital  far  in  the  southland  stricken  with  a  serious 
malady,  and  asking  me  to  pray  for  her.  O,  the  marvel, 
the  mystery,  and  the  power  of  intercessory  prayer. 

A  famous  American  preacher  relates  this  story. 
There  was  a  woman  in  his  church,  old,  bent,  poor,  but 
somehow  strangely  radiant  beneath  her  triple  burden. 
The  preacher  often  wondered  at  her  brave  ongoing. 
One  day  she  chanced  to  tell  him.  of  this.  Too  slim 
her  purse  to  give,  too  bent  her  body  to  serve,  she  was 
wont  to  clip  the  obituaries  in  the  daily  papers  and  then 
for  each  of  the  stricken  households — to  pray!  Did 
God  hear  the  prayer  of  this  shut-in  saint?  As  dis- 
tinctly as  a  mother  hears  the  faintest  cry  of  her  first 
born. 

v 

The  fifth  round  of  the  Prayer  ladder  is  praying  "in 
the  Spirit."  This  is  the  acme  of  prayer.  Here  the 
spirit!  of  the  heavenly  Father  and  His  children  meet 
and  merge;  this  is  the  prayer  of  triumphant  consecra- 
tion, "Thy  will  be  done."  There  may  be  no  articulate 
words,  but  the  spirit  of  prayer  permeates  one's  whole 
being  and  it  is  as  though  the  entire  being  were  vocal. 
The  most  spiritual  prayers  are  often  quite  independent 
of  form  or  ceremony  and  do  not  necessarily  require 
speech.  In  the  greatest  experiences  of  life  words  are 
feeble  and  inadequate;  but  love  and  sacrifice  speak  in 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER  113 


the  eloquent  expression  of  the  eye,  the  trembling  of  the 
chin,  the  tear  moist  cheek;  just  so  in  the  highest  ex- 
perience of  prayer  there  is  such  harmony  of  soul,  such 
oneness  of  spirit  with  the  Divine  that  speech  could  add 
nothing  to  the  glory  and  the  consecration  of  the  mo- 
ment. 

I  recall  an  incident  so  intimate  and  tender  that  the 
recollection  is  like  the  entering  into  some  holy  of  holies. 
The  incident  is  one  of  several  growing  out  of  the 
severing  of  pastoral  ties  of  many  years  and  the  calling 
as  my  successor,  the  young  man  who  had  served  for  a 
year  as  my  assistant.  This  young  man  and  I  had 
enjoyed  a  year  of  unbroken  fellowship.  I  had  been  at- 
tracted to  him  upon  first  acquaintance,  and  I  saw  in 
him  certain  gifts  that  I  felt  sure  would  fit  him  for  the 
educational  directorship  of  the  church.  When  it  be- 
came apparent  that  he  would  be  chosen  to  succeed  me 
as  minister  of  that  old  and  conspicuous  church,  he  was 
quite  overwhelmed  with  the  thought  and  could  scarcely 
think  his  way  through  the  possibilities  of  the  promotion 
with  the  responsibilities  it  entailed.  In  the  midst  of 
those  first  hours  of  stress  and  uncertainty  I  went  to  his 
study  intending  to  confer  with  him  there.  He  did 
not  hear  me  open  the  door.  I  saw  him  seated  at  his 
desk  with  his  arms  stretched  out  across  the  table;  his 
face  pressed  against  the  polished  surface  was  turned 
toward  me;  his  eyes  were  closed.  I  stood  a  moment 
wondering  if  he  were  ill ;  then  like  a  flash  I  understood, 
amid  the  anxiety  and  the  elation  of  the  sudden  oppor- 
tunity that  had  come  to  him  he  had  turned  in  prayer 
to  Almighty  God  for  light  and  leading.  He  had  bowed 
himself  before  the  heavenly  Father,  and  without  any 


114  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


articulate  speech  was  seeking  to  find  the  Divine  will  and 
to  merge  his  will  into  God's  will.  I  turned  and  tip- 
toed out  of  the  room,  but  there  remains  with  me  to 
this  day  the  picture  of  that  young  minister  falling 
back  upon  the  Everlasting  Arms,  and  the  unspoken  pe- 
tition for  guidance  and  strength.  Thus  do  we  build 
the  ladder  of  prayer,  beginning  with  "saying  prayers" 
and  ending  with  praying  in  the  Spirit.  On  such  a  lad- 
der the  angels  of  God  ascend  and  descend — messen- 
gers of  His  mercy  and  love. 

In  the  abstract  this  prayer  ladder  may  seem  fanciful, 
but  behold  it  now  concretely  in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ. 
It  is  unthinkable  that  Jesus  ever  said  a  prayer,  but  we 
may  well  believe  He  repeated  with  unction  and  grace 
some  of  those  great  prayer  psalms  which  to  this  day 
are  redolent  with  praise.  Jesus  prayed  for  Himself, 
but  no  selfish  prayer  ever  found  utterance  with  Him. 
He  prayed  for  Himself  that  He  might  accomplish  the 
work  where  unto  He  was  sent.  He  prayed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  strong  temptation  for  the  victory  of  the  spirit 
over  the  flesh.  But  He  prayed  mostly  for  others.  He 
prayed  for  His  disciples.  He  prayed  for  them  collec- 
tively and  by  name.  He  prayed  for  Peter  and  His 
prayer  for  that  impetuous  disciple  was  answered.  He 
prayed  for  little  children  and  was  indignant  because 
the  disciples  discouraged  the  mothers  from  bringing 
their  children  to  Him.  His  prayer  recorded  in  the 
seventeenth  chapter  of  John  is  an  intercessory  prayer 
in  which  He  prayed  for  Himself,  for  the  disciples 
that  were  then  with  Him  and  for  all  who  should  be  His 
disciples.  He  prayed  for  the  unity  of  believers  that 
they  might  be  one,  even  as  He  and  the  Father  are  one. 


THE  LADDER  OF  PRAYER  115 

In  Gethsemane  He  prayed  the  prayer  of  complete  sub- 
mission and  resignation,  "Father,  if  Thou  be  willing 
remove  this  cup  from  me,  nevertheless  not  my  will 
but  Thine  be  done."  On  the  Cross  He  prayed  for  His 
enemies,  for  those  who  had  betrayed  Him,  for  those 
who  nailed  Him  there,  for  all,  "Father,  forgive  them 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do." 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  disciples  asked  Jesus  to 
teach  them  to  pray?  If  He  needed  to  pray,  how  much 
more  His  disciples.  To  the  School  of  Prayer  as  taught 
by  Jesus  let  us  go  in  great  numbers  and  for  life  and 
forever.  What  boots  it  if  our  beginnings  of  prayer 
are  humble  and  feeble.  If  we  persist  we  shall  grow  in 
prayer  as  in  stature,  in  years,  in  everything.  Be- 
ginning by  "saying  a  prayer"  we  shall  come  at  last 
really  to  pray  in  the  Spirit. 

The  builder  who  first  bridged  Niagara's  gorge, 

Before  he  swung  his  cable,  shore  to  shore, 

Sent  out  across  the  gulf  his  venturing  kite 

Bearing  a  slender  cord  for  unseen  hands 

To  grasp  upon  a  further  cliff  and  draw 

A  greater  cord,  and  then  a  greater  yet; 

Till  at  last  across  the  chasm  swung 

The  cable — then  the  mighty  bridge  in  air! 

So  we  may  send  our  little  timid  thought 
Across  the  void,  out  to  God's  reaching  hands 
Send  out  our  love  and  faith  to  thread  the  deep 
Thought  after  thought  until  the  little  cord 
Has  greatened  to  a  chain  no  chance  can  break, 
And — we  are  anchored  to  the  infinite. 


IX 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM 

A  Study  in  the  Essential  Truth  which  Underlies 
Vagaries  and  Varieties  of  Spiritualistic 
Experiments 


John  16:7.    (Moffatt's  Translation.) 

Yet — I  am  telling  you  the  truth — my  going 
is  for  your  good.  If  I  do  not  depart,  the 
Helper  will  not  come  to  you;  whereas  if  I  go, 
I  will  send  him  to  you. 

Hebrews  12:22,  23. 

Ye  are  come  ...  to  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect. 


IX 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM 

There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  interest  in 
Spiritualism  is  waning.  The  Great  War  with  its 
losses,  separations  and  sorrows  contributed  largely  to 
the  revival  of  interest  in  the  subject,  particularly  the 
publication  of  Sir  Oliver  Lodge's  much  talked-of  vol- 
ume entitled  "Raymond."  A  reading  of  this  book 
fills  one  with  commingled  emotions.  The  sincerity  of 
the  author  is  beyond  question,  and  the  weight  of  his 
great  name  is  impressive.  Moreover,  there  is  the  throb 
of  a  father's  great  heart  in  every  page;  a  heart  bruised 
if  not  broken  by  the  death  in  battle  of  a  brilliant  and 
devoted  son.  Some  parts  of  the  book  are  much  more 
valuable  than  others,  for  instance  the  chapters  de- 
voted to  Life,  Death,  and  Immortality.  Least  con- 
vincing to  most  readers  is  the  portion  in  which  com- 
munications from  Raymond  are  chronicled  in  minutest 
detail. 

In  the  church  to  which  I  ministered  for  many  years 
an  old  gentleman  who  was  a  devout  and  enthusiastic 
Spiritualist  held  membership.  He  was  anxious  to  con- 
vert me  to  his  views,  sent  me  numerous  articles,  and 
on  the  occasions  when  I  was  a  guest  in  his  home  re- 
galed me  with  many  experiences  in  the  realm  of  what 
he  called  "Revealments"  from  the  other  world.  He  had 
119 


120  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

lost  two  sons  in  infancy,  and  hanging  upon  the  walls 
of  his  living  room  were  two  life-sized  portraits  of 
young  men,  which,  he  explained  to  me,  were  painted 
by  Spirit  hands.  The  pictures  were  devoid  of  person- 
ality and  were  so  palpably  spurious  as  to  deceive  only 
the  most  credulous.  Yet,  withal,  I  could  not  but  ad- 
mire the  old  gentleman's  sturdy  insistence  that  he 
knew  death  does  not  end  all. 

Several  reasons  occur  to  me  why  Spiritualism  as  it 
is  commonly  explained  and  interpreted  does  not  satisfy 
the  deep  yearnings  with  which  it  presumes  to  deal.  I 
agree  with  Dean  Inge — "If  communication  between 
the  dead  and  the  living  were  part  of  the  nature  of 
things,  they  would  have  been  established  long  ago 
beyond  cavil,  for  there  are  few  things  which  men  have 
wished  more  eagerly  to  believe."  Then,  the  so-called 
"communications"  for  the  most  part  are  trivial,  trifling, 
and  unimportant.  Nothing  really  vital  has  been  added 
to  our  stock  of  knowledge  through  spiritualistic  mes- 
sages. Again,  if  such  communications  were  possible 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  why  they  cannot  be  made 
directly  to  men  and  women  who  are  spiritually  minded 
instead  of  through  intermediaries  who  are  often  of  in- 
ferior intelligence  and  sometimes  of  doubtful  charac- 
ters. And  what  is  still  more  fundamental — if  it  be 
possible  for  the  dead  to  bring  us  information  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  life  beyond  death,  it  is  a  large  question 
whether  such  knowledge  would  not  disturb  the  natural 
order  of  things,  and  hinder,  rather  than  help,  us  in 
the  life  that  now  is.   Pope's  fine  couplet  is  to  the  point : 

O  blindness  to  the  future;  kindly  given, 

That  each  may  fill  the  circle  marked  by  heaven. 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  121 


These  mild  and  tentative  strictures  of  Spiritualism 
are  made  with  due  regard  for  the  open  mind  as  well 
as  the  good  men  and  women  who  believe  that  the 
dead  return.  There  is  something  in  this  desire  to  lift 
the  veil  and  see  what  lies  beyond  the  grave  that  is  thor- 
oughly human  and  readily  understood.  Not  only  so, 
but  back  of  and  underneath  the  trappings  of  Spiritual- 
ism, the  tinsel  and  the  show,  there  must  be  some 
truth.  It  could  scarcely  be  otherwise.  I  do  not  credit 
highly  the  Spiritualism  that  finds  satisfaction  in  "table- 
tipping,"  "rappings,"  "trumpets,"  "ouija  boards,"  and 
trance  mediums,  but  I  believe  in  what  I  shall  call  "The 
Higher  Spiritualism,"  by  which  term  I  mean  not  com- 
munication but  communion  with  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 

THE  RULERSHIP  OF  THE  NOBLE  DEAD 

Jesus  said  that  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead  but 
of  the  living.  It  is  unlikely  that  many  people  believe 
in  "soul  sleeping," — a  doctrine  which  holds  that  the 
vital  spark  is  snuffed  out  by  death  until  such  a  time  as 
it  please  God  to  rekindle  it.  The  dead  still  rule  us,  not 
merely  from  "sceptered  urns"  but  from  deeper  sources 
yet.  It  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  the  more  powerful 
influence — the  presence  and  inspiration  of  the  living 
or  the  spiritual  presence  and  power  of  those  whom  we 
call  dead.  Not  a  day  passes  without  some  reminder 
through  newspaper,  conversation,  book,  picture  or 
monument  of  that  great  company  who  are  not  of  the 
flesh  but  of  the  spirit.  I  open  a  volume  of  poetry,  and 
the  first  selection  that  catches  my  eye  is  a  sonnet  to  a 
great  Soul  who  lives  not  in  a  name  merely  but  in  the 
thoughts,  aspirations  and  deeds  of  a  generation  that 


122  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


never  knew  him  in  the  flesh.  I  listen  to  a  gifted  orator 
speaking  in  behalf  of  a  worthy  cause.  His  is  a  voice 
in  the  wilderness,  and  he  pleads  eloquently  in  behalf  of 
the  poor,  the  down-trodden,  and  the  long-suffering.  I 
see  the  flash  of  his  eye  and  feel  the  thrill  of  his  voice  as 
he  calls  upon  the  citizenry  in  the  name  of  a  mighty 
leader,  dead  for  more  than  half  a  century  and  bids  us 
follow  his  spiritual  guidance.  We  speak  of  the  "silent 
majority"  by  which  is  meant  the  unnumbered  millions 
who  have  gone  the  way  of  all  the  earth.  Silent  they 
are,  but  not  powerless.  Nor  is  this  "rulership  of  the 
dead"  explained  by  the  immortality  of  influence,  the 
"Choir  Invisible"  of  George  Eliot's  famous  poem. 
Here  is  something  plus  the  immortality  of  influence, 
something  deeper,  more  potent  still! 

It  is  good  to  visit  Mount  Vernon  on  the  lordly  Po- 
tomac when  Spring  has  clothed  the  Virginia  fields  and 
forests  in  garments  of  velvety  green,  or  better  still 
when  Autumn  has  made  the  landscape  a  riot  of  color 
— crimson,  maroon  and  gold.  What  a  high  adventure 
to  stroll  leisurely  over  that  spacious  estate,  to  wander 
from  room  to  room  in  the  noble  mansion,  or  stand  un- 
covered by  the  simple  and  unadorned  tomb  where  the 
dust  of  Washington  reposes.  So  to  do  is  to  sense  the 
dignity,  the  courage,  the  patience,  of  that  quiet  and 
courtly  Virginian  who  willingly  placed  everything  he 
had  on  the  altar  of  liberty,  and  then  steadfastly  held  his 
own  through  detraction,  storm  and  calumny.  Does  he 
not  seem  alive  ?  Do  not  the  place,  the  house,  the  yard, 
the  fields  seem  filled  with  his  strong  and  intrepid  spirit? 
Instead  of  being  less  than  he  was  when  in  the  flesh, 
General  Washington  in  death  is  more  than  he  was  in 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  123 


life.  One  feels  this  same  emotion  at  Monticello  where 
Jefferson  lived  and  his  dust  slumbers;  at  Lincoln's 
tomb  at  Springfield,  or  in  and  about  his  old-fashioned 
homestead  there;  at  Emerson's  grave  at  Concord;  at 
Mrs.  Browning's  at  Florence,  Italy;  yea,  and  also  at 
countless  graves  of  those  unknown  to  fame  who  were 
loved  long  since  and  their  physical  presence  lost  awhile. 
Still  more  important  is  the  fact  that  this  emotion  and 
the  stirring  of  the  same  is  not  confined  to  any  particu- 
lar1 place,  indeed  is  independent  of  locality  though  it 
may  be  intensified  by  the  place  or  occasion  where  the 
imagination  is  quickened. 

The  ministry  of  the  Spirits  of  the  great  dead  is  im- 
pressively set  forth  in  that  notable  oration  of  Henry 
Ward  Beecher's  on  the  effect  of  the  death  of  Lincoln. 
I  do  not  think  there  is  anything  to  compare  with  it  in 
our  language  either  in  solemn  and  stately  cadence  or  the 
value  of  its  deep  and  abiding  spiritual  worth.  As  he 
describes  the  progress  of  the  funeral  train  across  the 
States,  the  orator  rises  to  majestic  heights.  "And 
now  the  martyr  is  moving  in  triumphal  march  mightier 
than  when  alive.  The  Nation  rises  up  at  every  stage 
of  his  coming.  Cities  and  States  are  his  pall-bearers, 
and  the  cannon  beats  the  hour  with  solemn  progression. 
Dead,  dead,  dead,  and  yet  speaking.  Is  Washington 
dead?  Is  Hampden  dead?  Is  David  dead?  Is  any 
man  that  was  ever  fit  to  live  dead?  Disenthralled  of 
flesh,  and  risen  in  the  unobstructed  sphere  where  pas- 
sion never  comes,  he  begins  his  illimitable  work.  His 
life  now  is  grafted  upon  the  Infinite  and  will  be  fruitful 
as  no  earthly  life  can  be." 

This  is  not  merely  superb  rhetoric;  it  is  that  and 


124  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

more.  The  spiritual  influence  of  Abraham  Lincoln  is 
more  powerful  than  was  his  fruitful  life  in  the  flesh. 
Each  generation  is  destined  to  be  the  beneficiary  of  his 
sacrificial  labors,  but  most  of  all  the  wide  world  is 
forever  blessed  through  the  heritage  of  his  spirit  freed 
from  all  limitations,  and  available  to  everyone  who 
knows  the  story  of  his  fidelity  and  patience  even  unto 
death. 

JESUS'   SPIRITUAL  PRESENCE  MORE   POTENT  THAN 
PHYSICAL 

Certain  passages  of  Scripture  which  throw  light 
upon  the  potency  of  the  Spirit's  ministry  deserve  to  be 
reexamined  and  studied  afresh.  Portions  of  the  con- 
versation that  Jesus  had  with  His  disciples  in  the  upper 
room  are  very  much  to  the  point.  To  the  eleven  friends 
He  said:  "Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth,  it  is  ex- 
pedient for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if  I  go  not  away 
the  Comforter  will  not  come  to  you,  but  if  I  depart  I 
will  send  him  unto  you."  Moffatt's  rendering  is  even 
more  suggestive :  "My  going  is  for  your  good."  Wey- 
mouth's translation  is  also  helpful :  "It  is  to  your  ad- 
vantage that  I  go  away."  Commenting  on  these  words 
of  Jesus',  an  English  scholar  says  that  it  was  "A  lof- 
tier experience  to  which  they  would  be  introduced." 
In  what  does  this  "loftier  experience"  consist?  What 
was  the  "advantage"  that  was  to  come  through  the 
withdrawal  of  Jesus'  physical  presence  from  the  world  ? 
There  can  be  but  one  answer:  His  spiritual  presence 
was  to  replace  His  physical  presence.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  the  "Comforter,"  the  "Helper,"  the  "Advocate," 
(the  "Ally,"  came  instead.    Jesus'  personal  ministry 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  125 

was  of  necessity  limited  both  by  time  and  geography. 
His  companionship  in  the  flesh  could  only  be  with  a 
chosen  few.  His  spiritual  comradeship  is  with  all  who 
desire  Him,  and  has  eternity  for  scope  and  range.  This 
spiritual  ministry  of  Jesus  is  without  limitation  save 
where  the  human  will  is  imposed  and  the  door  of  the 
heart  unopened  to  His  repeated  knockings. 

Jesus  assured  His  disciples  that  they  would  do 
"greater  works"  than  He  had  done,  and  He  gave  as  the 
reason  "because  I  go  unto  my  Father."  It  is  simply  a 
fact,  not  only  of  New  Testament  history  but  of  many 
centuries  of  history  since  the  Christian  Era,  that  Jesus 
accomplished  through  His  spiritual  ministry  greater 
works  by  far  than  those  done  in  the  days  of  His  flesh. 
Here  is  an  aspect  of  Christian  truth  we  are  slow  to 
receive;  our  stress  is  on  the  physical,  our  emphasis  on 
the  tangible.  We  are  slow  to  believe  in  a  spiritual  min- 
istry apart  from  the  material  with  which  we  have  not 
only  knowledge,  but  familiarity.  Perhaps  if  we  were 
willing  to  believe  in  the  priority  of  the  spiritual,  the 
doctrine  of  the  physical  return  of  our  Lord  would 
not  seem  so  important.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the 
word  "parousia"  which  is  generally  translated  "com- 
ing" when  referring  to  the  Apostle  Paul  is  twice  trans- 
lated "presence."  There  are  able  scholars  who  believe 
the  word  should  be  translated  "presence"  wherever  it 
occurs  in  the  New  Testament. 

It  is  a  tendency  everywhere  observable  to  become 
enamored  with  the  outward  trappings;  to  treasure  the 
physical  vehicle  above  the  spiritual  content.  Is  it  not 
noteworthy  that  the  author  of  the  Hebrew  epistle  con- 
trasts the  old  order,  its  forms  and  ceremonies;  Mount 


126  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Sinai  with  fire  and  smoke,  the  sound  of  trumpet,  with 
Mount  Zion  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  hosts  of  angels,  the 
general  assembly  and  Church  of  the  first  born,  and  the 
Spirit  of  just  men  made  perfect?  It  is  to  the  latter, 
he  says,  that  we  are  come  and  his  argument  is  that  these 
latter  blessings  are  better  than  the  old,  are  indeed  best 
of  all. 

In  that  appointment  that  Jesus  kept  with  His  dis- 
ciples in  Galilee,  He  gave  His  final  instructions  to  go 
into  all  the  world  and  make  Disciples  of  all  the  Na- 
tions. Then  He  gave  the  promise  of  His  perpetual 
presence,  saying — "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world."  Or,  to  quote  Weymouth 
again:  "I  am  with  you  always,  day  by  day,  even  to 
the  close  of  the  age."  Here  then  in  another  form  or 
phrasing  is  the  promise  of  the  spiritual  presence  of 
Christ.  To  be  Christ's  disciple  then  is  to  practice  His 
presence,  to  respond  to  the  leadings  of  His  spirit,  to 
be  comforted,  inspired,  flooded,  illumined  through,  of, 
and  by  the  Spirit.  An  oft-quoted  saying  of  St.  John 
will  bear  much  study  and  reflection — "Beloved  now  we 
are  children  of  God  and  it  is  not  yet  made  manifest 
what  we  shall  be;  we  know  that  if  He  shall  be  mani- 
fested we  shall  be  like  Him ;  for  ye  shall  see  Him  even 
as  He  is."   Yes,  as  He  is,  not  as  He  was! 

CONSEQUENCES  OF  SPIRITUAL  COMMUNION 

Is  not  this  concept  of  spiritual  communion  higher 
and  truer  than  that  of  communication  with  those  who 
have  passed  beyond  the  range  of  sight  and  hearing? 
Is  there  not  an  appeal  here  to  the  finest  instincts  of  our 
being,  to  the  deepest  yearnings  of  the  soul?    To  me 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  127 


there  is  and  I  am  debtor  to  it  a  hundred-fold.  It  may 
be  profitable  to  reflect  on  what  some  rare  souls  have 
said  of  communion  with  the  dead.  Writing  of  his 
father,  Thomas  Carlyle  said :  "Perhaps  my  father,  all 
that  essentially  was  my  father,  is  even  now  near  me, 
with  me.  Both  he  and  I  are  with  God."  John  Henry 
Newman  wrote :  "I  am  learning  more  than  hitherto  to 
live  in  the  presence  of  the  dead — this  is  a  gain  which 
strange  faces  cannot  take  away." 

Sir  Robertson  Nicoll  in  his  "Reunion  and  Eternity" 
written  while  the  Great  War  raged  fiercely,  has  these 
thoughtful  sentences — "Is  it  granted  to  us  to  have 
actual  communion  with  the  dead  before  the  reunion? 
We  have  no  distinct  revelation,  and  yet  'in  clear  dream 
and  solemn  vision'  much  may  be  granted  to  the  soul. 
Christ  holds  the  dead  by  His  right  hand  and  His  left 
hand  holds  ours.  Is  it  possible  that  new  currents  of 
covenanting  love  may  pass  through  Him  from  one  to 
the  other?  How  many  can  speak  of  sudden  uplif tings, 
touches,  guidances,  which  seem  to  come  from  the 
ancient  love?" 

Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  wrote  to  Lady  Byron  in 
1857 :  "I  have  got  past  the  time  when  I  feel  that  my 
heavenly  friends  are  lost  by  going  there.  I  feel  them 
nearer,  rather  than  farther  off.  So  good-by  dear,  dear 
friend,  and  if  you  see  morning  in  our  Father's  house 
before  I  do,  carry  my  love  to  those  that  wait  for  me, 
and  if  I  pass  first,  you  will  find  me  there,  and  we  shall 
love  each  other  for  ever." 

Dr.  John  Ker  wrote  to  a  very  dear  friend :  "I  have 
the  firm  belief  that  the  future  world  is  not  cut  off 
from  this,  but  one  with  it — one  through  Him  who  is 


128  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

Lord  both  of  the  living  and  the  dead.  Those  who 
enter  into  it  retain  a  personal  and  conscious  existence 
near  to  Him,  and  He  will  find  means  of  keeping  up 
their  connection,  I  do  well  believe,  with  that  world 
which  they  have  left.  It  is  agreeable  both  to  reason 
and  Scripture  that  this  should  be  so,  and  it  is  very  con- 
solatory to  us  to  think  that  we  and  our  dear  friends 
shall  still  have  real  union." 

Such  testimony  as  this  from  men  of  letters  and 
learning  is  good.  But  not  alone  the  scholar  and  the 
saint,  the  woman  in  the  home  and  the  man  in  the 
crowd  can  also  keep  company  with  the  elect  of  all  time 
if  they  so  desire.  And  what  shall  we  say  of  the  hearts 
bowed  down  that  have  been  lifted  up,  supported  by  un- 
seen helpers.  Here  is  a  letter  written  to  Dr.  Joseph 
Fort  Newton  during  his  ministry  at  the  City  Temple, 
London,  and  reproduced  in  his  diary  of  England  during 
war  times.  It  is  a  most  human  piece  of  writing  and 
it  is  much  more — it  is  a  confession  of  faith  in  the 
Higher  Spiritualism — 

"Dear  Minister: 

"Early  in  the  war  I  lost  my  husband,  and  I  was 
mad  with  grief.  I  had  the  children  to  bring  up  and 
no  one  to  help  me,  so  I  just  raged  against  God  for 
taking  my  husband  from  my  side  and  yet  calling 
Himself  good.  Someone  told  me  that  God  could  be 
to  me  all  that  my  husband  was  and  more.  And  so 
I  got  into  the  way  of  defying  God  in  my  heart. 
'Now  and  here,'  I  used  to  say,  'this  is  what  I  want 
and  God  can't  give  it  to  me.'  After  a  while  I  came, 
somehow,  to  feel  that  God  liked  the  honesty  of  it; 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  129 


liked  this  downright  telling  Him  all  my  needs, 
though  I  had  no  belief  that  He  could  help  me.  One 
day  I  had  gone  into  the  garden  to  gather  some 
flowers,  and  suddenly  I  knew  that  my  husband  was 
there  with  me — just  himself,  only  braver  and 
stronger  than  he  had  ever  been.  I  do  not  know 
how  I  knew ;  but  I  knew.  There  was  no  need  of  a 
medium,  for  I  had  found  God  myself,  and,  finding 
Him,  I  had  found  my  husband  too." 

Surely  here  is  something  more  comforting  and  deeply 
satisfying  than  recourse  to  darkened  rooms  and  the 
crude  and  sometimes  repellent  paraphernalia  of  seances 
and  curtained  Cabinet.  "Mystical  experience,"  says 
Rufus  M.  Jones,  "does  not  supply  concrete  informa- 
tion. It  does  not  bring  new  finite  facts,  new  items 
that  can  be  used  in  a  description  of  'the  scenery  and 
circumstance'  of  the  realm  beyond  our  sense-horizons. 
It  is  the  awareness  of  a  Presence,  the  consciousness  of 
a  Beyond,  the  discovery  as  James  put  it  that  'we  are 
continuous  with  a  More  of  the  same  quality,  which  is 
cooperative  in  us  and  in  touch  with  us.'  " 

Think  you  the  aerial  wires 

Whisper  more  than  spirits  may? 

Think  you  that  our  strong  desires 
Touch  no  distance  when  we  pray? 

Think  you  that  no  wings  are  flying 
'Twixt  the  living  and  the  dying? 

It  may  be  I  should  not  close  this  study  without  in- 
cluding my  own  witness  to  this  most  intimate  and  per- 
sonal of  subjects.  One  has  not  lived  very  long  or 
deeply  until  there  breaks  over  him  the  billows  of  that 
oldest  and  newest  of  experiences — death  in  the  home. 


130  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


I  cannot  think  of  my  own  dead  either  as  sleeping  dream- 
lessly  or  inhabiting  some  far  distant  realm  aloof  and 
withdrawn  from  those  of  us  who  are  still  in  the  body. 
I  can  no  more  conceive  of  this  than  I  can  of  God  dwell- 
ing a  million  miles  away,  and  that  prayer  to  Him  must 
perforce  bridge  so  deep  and  awful  a  chasm.  The  com- 
panionship of  those  who  are  absent  from  this  life  of 
sight  and  touch  and  sound  I  continue  to  enjoy,  but  on 
the  plane  now  where  spirit  meets  with  spirit  and  the 
sense  of  spiritual  presence  is  strong  and  comforting. 

Tender  and  blessed  forever  are  the  memories  of  a 
lovely  daughter  who  in  the  mystic  days  of  maidenhood 

Standing  with  reluctant  feet 
Where  the  brook  and  river  meet 

went  out  from  us  through  the  old,  old  gateway  of 
death.  Lovers,  friends,  and  comrades  were  we,  and 
never  more  so  than  through  the  weeks  when  she 
bravely  struggled  to  live  and  carry  to  fruition  those 
earthly  hopes  that  rightly  were  hers  to  cherish.  When 
I  reflect  upon  those  days  I  find  nowhere  else  such  full- 
voicing  of  their  wonder  and  blessedness  as  in  the 
lines — 

The  hours  I  spent  with  thee  dear  heart 
Are  as  a  string  of  pearls  to  me, 
I  count  them  over  every  one  apart, 
My  Rosary,  My  Rosary. 

Yes,  as  a  strand  of  the  fairest  and  costliest  of  pearls 
were  those  hours  with  our  little  girl  in  the  days  of  her 
heroic  struggle  for  restoration  to  health.  Came  then 
the  day  of  days  when  early  on  the  morning  of  July 
19,  1 918,  her  wondering  eyes  closed  on  the  scenes  of 


THE  HIGHER  SPIRITUALISM  131 


time  and  change.  Never  since  has  she  been  far  from 
me  nor  is  she  now.  I  own  the  consciousness  of  her 
nearness  and  of  companying  with  her.  Sometimes 
amid  the  jostling  crowds  in  the  streets  of  a  great  city; 
sometimes  as  I  walk  over  the  quiet  country  fields  or 
through  the  vocal  woods ;  sometimes  in  the  hush  of  the 
communion  service  in  the  place  of  worship ;  sometimes 
in  the  midst  of  that  inner  circle  in  the  home  which  she 
so  adorned — no  matter  where  or  when,  I  feel  the  win- 
some strength  and  know  the  restful  radiance  of  her 
spiritual  presence. 

Thus  I  humbly  live  and  gladly  have  my  being  in  an 
abiding  sense  of  the  Eternal  nearness  and  the  unseen 
comradeship  of  a  glorious  company. 

You  think  them  "out  of  reach,"  your  dead? 
Nay,  by  my  own  dead,  I  deny 
Your  "out  of  reach" —   Be  comforted: 
Tis  not  so  far  to  die. 


X 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES 

How  the  Divine  Spirit  Appraises  the  Worth  of  a 
Christian  Congregation  and  the  Worshipers 
Therein 


Rev.  II  :i. 

And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a 
rod:  and  one  said,  Rise,  and  measure  the 
temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that 
worship  therein. 


X 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES 

The  heroic  company  for  whom  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion was  written  understood  its  cryptic  allusions. 
Through  a  period  of  dark  and  turbulent  years  the 
first  century  Church  conducted  meetings  in  secret;  and 
by  the  aid  of  symbols,  signs  and  passwords  continued 
her  mission  in  the  face  of  bitter  and  deadly  persecu- 
tion. The  visions,  figures,  and  cryptograms  of  Reve- 
lation, which  have  been  the  source  of  almost  endless 
controversy,  brought  warning  and  comfort  to  our 
brethren  of  the  apostolic  age.  Assuming  that  this  book 
was  written  primarily  for  the  generation  to  which  it 
was  addressed,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  contains  no 
message  for  these  latter  days.  In  a  secondary  sense  the 
book  is  freighted  with  much  that  is  profitable  for  every 
generation. 

Interpreters  of  various  schools  of  theology  agree  that 
the  allusion  in  Rev.  1 1  : 1  is  to  the  church,  its  worship 
and  conduct.  God  is  represented  as  appraising  His 
people  and  their  worship.  The  apostle  is  bidden  to 
discern  the  spiritual  dimensions  of  the  house  of  God. 

First,  he  measures — 

THE  AREA  OF  THE  TEMPLE 

Yes,  measure  the  temple,  but  not  merely  the  physical 
area,  for  that  were  the  least  important.    Some  of  the 
135 


136  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


most  spiritual  congregations  have  worshiped  in  small 
and  unimpressive  edifices.  Trinity  Chapel,  Brighton, 
where  Frederick  W.  Robertson  preached  those  sermons 
which  were  heard  the  world  around,  is  said  to  have 
sittings  for  only  four  hundred.  Measure,  then,  not  the 
spaciousness  or  seating  capacity,  but  observe  how  much 
of  the  whole  life  of  the  worshiper  is  to  be  found  in 
the  house  of  God.  Do  the  worshipers  bring  their  all 
to  church?  What  of  the  vision  range  of  the  minister 
and  the  office-bearers?  Is  the  world  objective  of  Jesus 
Christ  kept  constantly  before  the  people,  or  are  the 
ideals  of  the  Temple  provincial,  narrow  and  mean? 
It  has  sometimes  been  urged — and  with  good  intention 
— not  to  bring  workaday  memories  or  thoughts  of 
vocation  into  the  house  of  God.  There  is  a  sense  in 
which  such  advice  is  good,  but  unless  it  be  qualified 
or  explained  it  may  be  misleading.  Let  men  bring 
thoughts  of  shop,  store,  office  and  farm  to  the  house 
of  God;  let  women  come  with  recollections  of  house- 
hold duties,  the  training  of  children,  the  never  ending 
round  of  domestic  cares.  Thus  worshiping,  it  may 
be  that  both  men  and  women  will  come  to  perceive  the 
intimate  relation  between  daily  toil  and  the  Spirit  Di- 
vine, and  be  strengthened  accordingly. 

God  is  everywhere  measuring  the  churches  today. 
Are  they  big  enough  spiritually  to  serve  and  save  this 
generation?  Are  they  sufficiently  maintained  to  min- 
ister to  every  need  of  the  community  ?  Are  they  feed- 
ing the  emotions  and  starving  the  intellect?  Are  they 
providing  for  the  adult  life  of  the  congregation  and  ig- 
noring the  children?  Are  the  churches  measuring  up 
to  this  need  of  the  whole  of  life  and  supplying  richly 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES  137 


those  great  aids  to  faith  that  are  necessary  for  the 
life  abundant  or,  are  they  exclusive,  snobbish  and 
class-bound  ? 

THE  ALTAR 

"Rise  and  measure  the  altar."  The  altar  is  the  soul 
of  the  temple.  The  idea  of  sacrifice  is  as  old  as  reli- 
gion. When  the  artist  paints  primitive  man  at  worship, 
he  shows  him  kneeling  before  an  altar  on  which  a 
smoking  sacrifice  is  laid.  It  is  the  altar  that  has 
given  Christianity  its  supreme  place  among  the  world's 
religions.  The  communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is 
more  than  a  memorial ;  it  is  also  a  symbol.  The  broken 
bread  and  the  fruit  of  the  vine  speak  to  us  of  His  altar 
experience,  but  do  they  mirror  in  any  way  the  altar  in 
the  lives  of  the  worshipers?  The  basic  law  of  the 
Christian  life  is  the  Cross.  The  very  word  "altar" 
is  impressive ;  there  is  in  it  the  idea  of  sacrificial  service 
and  gifts,  the  ministry  of  renunciation.  A  church  is 
great  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  its  altar  life.  An 
individual  Christian  is  a  power  with  God  and  man  only 
as  the  altar  bulks  largely  in  his  thought  and  deed. 

First  century  Christianity  had  no  architecture 
worthy  of  name,  no  edifice  even  of  the  humbler  kind. 
Its  members  met  in  upper  rooms,  caves  of  the  earth, 
private  homes — anywhere  that  they  were  able  to  come 
together  and  for  the  time  be  safe  from  the  fire  of  the 
persecutors.  The  churches  of  that  day  boasted  no 
"coffers"  or  material  securities  of  any  kind;  they  knew 
no  organized  life  save  of  the  slenderest,  but  they  did 
possess  the  altar  in  a  wondrous  way.  They  shared  their 
all  with  the  humblest  of  earth,  and  they  gave  themselves 


138  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


without  reserve  for  a  redeemed  society.  How  promi- 
nently the  altar  was  in  St.  Paul's  life.  How  noble  are 
his  flaming  words;  when  replying  to  the  critics  who 
questioned  his  apostolic  credentials,  he  cried :  "Hence- 
forth let  no  man  trouble  me;  for  I  bear  branded  in 
my  body  the  marks  of  Jesus."  It  was  through  the 
altar  marks  made  by  the  lion  which  crunched  his  arm, 
that  the  body  of  David  Livingstone  was  identified 
before  it  was  buried  with  impressive  honors  in  West- 
minster Abbey. 

"Rise  and  measure  the  altar,"  is  a  solemn  injunction 
to  modern  Christians.  What  is  the  altar  life  of  the 
average  congregation  ?  What  is  the  local  church  doing 
for  the  community  ?  What  service,  what  sacrifice,  what 
ministry  to  the  unfortunate,  the  despondent,  the  out- 
cast, the  poor?  What  of  the  altar  in  the  lives  of  the 
members?  Is  it  strong  or  faint?  Is  pride  still  domi- 
nating the  rank  and  file  of  the  Christian  common- 
wealth? Is  prejudice  still  swaying  the  multitude  of 
believers  ?  Is  avarice  and  greed  corroding  the  hearts  of 
those  who  acknowledge  the  Lordship  of  Jesus?  Have 
we  learned  nothing  new  concerning  sacrifice  since  the 
great  war?  Eighty  thousand  of  America's  youth  gave 
their  lives  to  make  the  world  safe  for  women  and  little 
children.  What  of  us  who  possess  vigor,  influence  and 
talent,  what  are  we  giving  ?  What  of  the  altar  experi- 
ence on  our  part  to  make  Christianity  vital  and  fruitful 
the  world  over?  Is  the  Cross  only  a  symbol,  a  mere 
emblem  to  adorn  a  necklace  or  ornament  for  a  watch 
fob?  Yes,  measure  the  altar  and  let  us  know  the 
truth — even  if  it  be  an  exposure  of  our  meager  ac- 
complishments in  the  realm  of  the  spiritual. 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES  139 


"and  them  that  worship  therein" 

The  measuring  passes  now  from  the  temple  and  the 
altar  to  the  individual.  True,  the  individual  has  been 
included  in,  both  the  measurement  of  the  temple  and 
the  altar,  but  a  more  personal  and  individual  appraisal 
must  now  be  submitted  to.  God  is  about  to  take  our 
measure  in  soul  wealth.  Have  we  learned  to  endure? 
How  much  patience  do  we  possess?  Is  the  forgiving 
spirit  large  with  us?  How  long  can  we  harbor  a 
grudge?  To  what  distance  and  inconvenience  are  we 
willing  to  go  in  order  to  right  a  wrong?  Can  we  see 
the  weak  wronged  without  indignation  ?  Can  we  exult 
in  the  downfall  of  an  enemy?  Do  we  try  to  be  just  to 
those  whom  we  do  not  like  ?  Can  we  bear  this  measur- 
ing rod  of  Almighty  God  without  a  sense  of  littleness? 
Are  we  growing  in  the  great  graces  of  the  spirit  ?  The 
questions  are  personal,  searching,  persistent,  inescap- 
able.   "Lord  is  it  I?   Is  it  I?   Is  it  I?" 

There  are  a  host  of  little  Christians  in  the  world,  not 
children,  but  little-minded,  little-hearted,  little  men  and 
women  who  claim  to  follow  the  Great  Christ.  The 
mystery  is  profound.  How  can  a  man  be  little  who 
really  seeks  to  follow  Jesus.  No  one  can  follow  Him 
and  remain  small  of  soul,  mean  and  narrow  of  mind 
— the  process  of  following  Jesus  is  an  enlarging  experi- 
ence, the  moving  from  lower  to  higher  ground  and  a 
consequent  expansion  of  vision  power.  If  littleness 
still  possess  us  and  we  call  ourselves  Christian,  be 
sure  we  are  not  following,  we  have  halted;  uncon- 
sciously we  have  stopped  and  He  has  gone  on. 


140  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


By  what  standard  does  God  measure  the  churches, 
the  area  of  the  temple,  the  altar  and  them  that  wor- 
ship therein?  A  popular  custom  is  to  measure  our- 
selves by  others  and  observe  with  pride  wherein  our 
accomplishments  are  larger  and  our  growth  more  con- 
siderable than  neighbors,  friends,  fellow  church  mem- 
bers. A  man  looks  about  him  for  instance,  and  after 
the  manner  of  a  certain  infamous  Pharisee  solilo- 
quizes :  'As  compared  with  other  folks  I'm  a  pretty 
good  kind  of  a  Christian ;  I  attend  church  more  regu- 
larly than  my  neighbors  next  door ;  I  can  offer  a  bet- 
ter prayer  in  public  than  any  man  of  the  Official  Board; 
I  thank  God  I  am  a  more  efficient  Churchman  than  any- 
one else  in  the  congregation."  That  standard  of  meas- 
urement is  an  abomination;  it  is  mean,  niggardly  and 
contemptible. 

There  are  those,  also,  who  while  they  scorn  to  meas- 
ure themselves  by  others  are  quite  ready  to  measure 
themselves  by  themselves.  These  well  meaning  folk 
look  back  over  the  years  and  see  wherein  they  can 
trace  a  growth  in  spiritual  things  and  thus  contrasting 
present  attainments  with  past,  believe  themselves  to 
find  ground  for  self-congratulation.  This  method  of 
measuring  is  not  so  objectionable  as  the  other,  but  it 
is  faulty  and  inadequate.  In  II  Cor.  10:12,  the  apostle 
alludes  to  Christians  of  that  day  who  measured  them- 
selves by  themselves,  and  he  charged  them  with  folly. 
The  difficulty  is  that  such  measuring  keeps  one  self- 
centered;  it  feeds  pride,  tickles  vanity,  chills  enthusi- 
asm, smothers  the  noblest  impulses.  Behold  a  more 
excellent  way  I  show  you: 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES  141 


JESUS  THE  STANDARD  OF  MEASUREMENT 

God's  manner  of  measuring  us  is  in  Jesus  Christ,  His 
son.  Peter  refers  to  Jesus  as  our  example  and  bids 
us  follow  in  His  steps.  Paul  in  a  memorable  passage 
enjoins  the  followers  of  Christ  at  Ephesus  to  strive 
toward  high  ideals :  "Till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of 
faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God  unto 
a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
fullness  of  Christ."  The  night  of  His  betrayal  Jesus 
gave  to  His  disciples  a  new  commandment,  and  bade 
them  love  one  another  even  as  He  loved  them.  God, 
therefore,  is  measuring  the  temple,  and  the  altar,  and 
them  that  worship  therein  by  and  through  His  Son. 
Consider  how  fully  His  measurements  fill  the  require- 
ment of  the  text. 

How  wonderfully  His  spirit  fills  the  temple,  minis- 
tering to  the  whole  life.  Lo,  His  abundant  provisions 
for  the  old,  the  middle  aged,  the  young  and  the  little 
children.  No  one  is  forgotten  or  overlooked ;  the  out- 
cast, the  poor,  the  notorious  sinner,  the  toiler,  the  house- 
wife, the  scholar,  the  peasant — all  are  objects  of  His 
love  and  consideration.  The  sympathies  of  Jesus,  like 
the  waters  of  some  great  ocean  whose  waves  lap  the 
shores  of  many  continents,  reach  every  experience  of 
human  life.  He  is  everybody's  Christ.  He  is  the 
same  yesterday,  today  and  forever.  If  lifted  up  in  the 
thoughts  and  deeds  of  His  followers,  He  will  draw  all 
men  unto  Himself. 

In  Jesus'  life  the  altar  was  supreme.  He  came  not 
to  be  ministered  unto.  The  spirit  of  sacrifice  in  His 
life  permeates  the  pages  of  the  Gospels  as  Mary's  oint- 


142  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


ment  filled  the  home  of  Simon  the  leper  with  its  sweet 
fragrance.  He  was  among  the  people  as  one  who 
serveth.  He  set  His  face  toward  Jerusalem  and  of- 
fered Himself  upon  the  high  altar  of  the  Cross  for  all 
mankind.  Thus,  he  has  become,  as  the  author  of  the 
Hebrew  Epistle  has  aptly  phrased  it — "our  altar." 

With  what  vastness  of  mind  and  affection  does  Jesus 
meet  the  yearnings  of  the  soul  that  seeks  Him;  what 
amplitude  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus.  No  petty  prejudices, 
no  sordid  ambition,  no  greed  for  place  or  possession, 
warped  or  dwarfed  His  character.  The  words  that  fell 
from  His  lips  were  words  of  ocean-like  breadth :  "all," 
"whosoever,"  "everyone," — these  were  the  phrases 
oftenest  upon  His  lips.  How  His  abundant  love,  His 
whole-hearted  forgiveness,  His  gracious  dealings  with 
publican  and  sinners  rebukes  the  oft-times  bigotry  of 
some  who  claim  Him  as  Lord  and  Master!  Measured 
by  this  high  standard,  how  small  are  even  the  most 
spiritual  of  men  and  women;  compared  with  His  sacri- 
ficial acts,  how  insignificant  the  most  generous  of  the 
churches  appear.  In  the  deepest  sense  the  spirit  and  the 
principles  of  Jesus  are  measureless.  The  religion  of 
His  day  was  that  of  the  stated  feast,  the  stipulated 
tithe,  the  arbitrary  service,  the  formal  and  stereotyped 
Pharisaism.  Jesus  came  with  His  large  and  lovely 
outlook  upon  life,  His  deep  and  penetrating  insight  into 
human  nature.  He  taught  the  giving  of  good  measure, 
pressed  down,  shaken  together  and  running  over.  In- 
stead of  the  measured  mile  standard  He  taught  the 
nobility  of  the  second  mile;  instead  of  stopping  with 
forgiving  one's  enemy  seven  times,  He  multiplied  that 
number  by  seventy,  which  was  just  another  way  of 


GOD  MEASURING  THE  CHURCHES  143 


saying,  every  time  you  have  the  opportunity,  extend 
forgiveness  fully  and  gladly.  In  the  garden  He  left 
the  majority  of  His  disciples  at  the  outer  edge.  He 
took  Peter,  James  and  John  a  little  farther  with  Him ; 
then,  He  Himself  went  farthest  of  all  into  the  depths 
of  the  Gethsemane  experience — a  symbolic  act. 

My  brethren,  it  is  not  possible  to  weigh  or  measure 
infinite  love.  No  canvas  is  large  enough  for  Jesus 
Christ.  Men  have  been  trying  for  centuries  to  sum- 
marize the  character  of  Christ  in  lecture,  essay,  and  bi- 
ography; they  have  failed,  or  at  the  best,  succeeded 
only  partially.  I  recall  the  title  of  one  of  these  multi- 
farious books  with  Jesus  as  theme — a  title  of  becoming 
modesty  and  singular  good  taste:  "Jesus,  An  Un- 
finished Portrait."  "Unfinished"  is  here  rightly  used. 
What  artist,  orator,  preacher,  essayist,  philosopher,  has 
appraised  wholly  that  Great  Soul,  whether  on  canvas, 
in  marble,  or  printed  page?  God  be  praised  for  so 
lofty  an  ideal,  so  perfect  a  standard,  so  sinless  a  life 
as  He  hath  given  unto  the  world  in  His  beloved  Son, 
Jesus — our  "crystal  Christ!" 

Why  do  we  follow,  like  a  flock  of  sheep, 
Tradition  with  a  crook, 
Or  leave  the  vastness  of  the  calling  deep 
To  paddle  in  a  brook; 

When  on  the  hills  of  sunrise  stands  the  Lord — 
Triumphant  with  a  lifted  flaming  sword? 

Why,  when  upon  our  lips  the  great  new  name 

Waits  eager  to  be  said; 

When  cloven  tongues  of  Pentecostal  flame 

Burn  over  every  head: 

Do  we  build  Babel  towers  to  the  sky 

From  bricks  and  mortar,  who  have  wings  to  fly? 


XI 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE 
A  Brief  for  the  Family  Altar 


Romans  16:5. 
And  salute  the  church  that  is  in  their  house. 

Colossians  4:15. 

Salute  the  brethren  that  are  in  Laodicea, 
and  Nymphas,  and  the  church  that  is  in  their 
house. 

Philemon  1 :2. 

And  to  Apphia  our  sister,  and  to  Archippus 
our  fellow-soldier,  and  to  the  church  in  thy 
house. 


XI 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE 

Thrice  in  the  New  Testament  allusion  is  made  to  the 
Church  in  the  homes  of  believers.  The  first  of  these 
references  is  to  Acquila  and  Priscilla,  that  interesting 
couple  who  often  entertained  Paul  and  who  taught  the 
eloquent  Apollos  the  "way  of  God  more  accurately." 
In  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  Romans  the  Apostle  closes 
his  lengthy  letter  by  citing  a  long  list  of  distinguished 
fellow-workers.  He  calls  them  by  name  and  salutes 
them  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  heads  this  notable  list  with 
that  eminent  husband  and  wife,  Acquila  and  Priscilla. 
He  bears  witness  that  they  jeopardized  their  own  lives 
for  his.  For  such  loyalty  he  expresses  his  deep  grati- 
tude and  follows  this  with  a  salutation  to  "the  church 
that  is  in  their  house."  The  second  reference  is  to 
Colossians  4:15,  where  a  certain  Nymphia  is  remem- 
bered and  "the  Church  in  her  house."  The  third  is 
in  the  letter  of  Paul  to  Philemon,  which  consists  of 
but  a  single  chapter  of  twenty-five  verses.  In  this  brief 
epistle  the  Apostle  paves  the  way  for  the  restoration  of 
a  runaway  servant,  Onesimus  by  name.  He  beseeches 
Philemon  to  receive  Onesimus  no  longer  as  a  servant 
but  more  than  a  servant,  a  brother  beloved.  The  salu- 
tation of  this  letter  is  a  pen  picture  of  a  delightful 
Christian  home  of  the  first  century.  It  is  directed  "to 
147 


148  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Philemon  our  beloved  and  fellow-worker,  and  to  Ap- 
phia  our  sister,  and  to  Archippus  our  fellow-soldier  and 
to  the  church  in  thy  house."  These  three  allusions  to 
the  church  in  the  home  are  brimful  of  lessons  for 
modern  disciples  of  the  Christ. 

WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH? 

What  is  the  Church  ?  Certainly  it  is  not  the  building 
save  in  a  figurative  use  of  the  word.  The  building 
where  the  church  gathers  for  public  worship  is  the 
House  of  God,  or  the  "meeting  house" ;  it  is  the  church 
only  in  a  symbolic  sense.  The  Church  is  more  than 
the  edifice,  greater  than  the  structure,  mightier  than 
the  cathedral.  The  Greek  word  for  church  means  not 
"called  out"  as  has  sometimes  been  said,  but  simply 
"called  together."  It  connotes  a  group  of  people  com- 
ing together  with  a  like  purpose  of  mind  and  heart. 
In  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Matthew,  Jesus  said: 
"Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  My  name, 
there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  This  is  a  fairly 
adequate  description  of  a  church.  Wherever  a  group 
of  people  are  gathered  together  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  there  is  a  church,  according  to  Matthew.  The 
idea  is  developed  by  St.  Paul  who  conceives  of  the 
church  as  the  "body  of  Christ,"  a  building  of  which 
Christ  is  the  "chief  Cornerstone,"  and  also  "the  bride 
of  Christ." 

FAMILY  WORSHIP  AND  EARLY  CHRISTIANITY 

It  is  a  matter  of  more  than  passing  interest  that  in 
the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era  much  of  the  worship 
centered  in  the  home  or  family  life.    A  study  of  the 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE 


149 


New  Testament,  particularly  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and 
the  Epistles,  indicates  how  widespread  this  custom 
was.  To  be  sure  we  have  an  explanation  at  hand  and 
we  offer  it  easily  and  naturally.  We  say  there  were  no 
public  meeting  places  where  the  early  Christians  could 
meet  with  safety  and  convenience,  hence  the  use  of  their 
homes  for  this  purpose.  That  was  often  the  case. 
Sometimes  they  met  in  caves  in  the  earth,  as  the  author 
of  the  Hebrew  Epistle  intimates;  sometimes  in  an  up- 
per room  as  at  Troas,  described  in  Acts  the  twentieth 
chapter;  but  oftenest  the  private  residences  of  loyal 
disciples  were  used  for  the  public  services.  It  may 
be  that  the  reference  to  "the  Church  in  thy  house,"  in 
the  three  texts  cited  is  to  the  public  gatherings  in  the 
private  homes  of  followers  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  the 
Christian  families  of  that  day  had  a  Church  in  their 
home  quite  apart  from  the  meeting  of  the  brethren  for 
public  worship  there.  Those  of  "the  way"  were  ac- 
customed to  gather  together  in  the  family  circle  in  the 
name  of  Jesus.  This  can  be  shown  from  different 
angles,  but  from  none  other  so  significantly  as  that  of 
the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

An  examination  of  Acts  and  the  Epistles,  leads  us  to 
believe  that  first  century  disciples  observed  the  Lord's 
Supper  in  their  homes  and  as  a  part  of  the  daily  meal. 
Bishop  Lightfoot  believed  this  practice  continued  for 
nearly  a  century.  In  the  forty-sixth  verse  of  the  second 
chapter  of  Acts,  after  three  thousand  were  obedient  to 
the  Gospel,  we  read  that  "day  by  day  they  continued 
with  one  accord  in  the  temple  and  breaking  bread  at 
home."  Now  the  term  "breaking  bread"  here  is  un- 
doubtedly a  reference  to  the  Lord's  Supper.    In  Acts 


150  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


the  twentieth  chapter  it  is  written  that  Paul  met  with 
the  disciples  at  Troas  and  upon  the  first  day  of  the 
week  were  gathered  together  to  "break  bread."  Here 
again  is  the  same  expression  referring  to  the  Lord's 
Supper.  Just  as  the  Passover  was  a  family  feast  and 
was  presided  over  by  the  father  who  explained  its  mean- 
ing, so  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  in  the 
beginnings  of  Christianity  the  Lord's  Supper  was  simi- 
larly celebrated  in  the  homes  of  the  Christians,  and  for 
a  considerable  period  observed  every  day.  Gradually 
the  public  observance  which  came  to  be  on  the  first  day 
of  the  week  superseded  the  family  observance,  although 
not  entirely  for  many  years,  as  we  may  believe. 

It  is  a  question  whether  by  abandoning  the  family 
observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  we  have  not  lost 
something  helpful,  desirable  and  thoroughly  Christian. 
There  is  no  reason  why  a  Christian  home  might  not  at 
least  upon  occasions  of  family  reunions,  observe  simply 
and  helpfully  the  Lord's  Supper,  either  at  the  begin- 
ning or  the  close  of  the  family  meal.  The  institution 
is  a  memorial.  When  Jesus  instituted  it  He  said, 
"This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me,"  and  St.  Paul  ad- 
vised, "As  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread  and  drink  the 
cup  ye  proclaim  the  Lord's  death  till  He  come."  There 
is  something  tender,  beautiful  and  uplifting  in  the 
simple  memorial  of  the  Lord's  Supper  when  kept  by 
the  faithful,  whether  in  small  or  large  gatherings. 
Might  not  its  observance  in  the  home,  occasionally  at 
least,  make  for  a  growth  in  grace  and  knowledge  of 
the  Lord,  and  a  binding  of  the  family  together  in  Him? 
I  think  it  might. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE  151 


THE  DECLINE  OF  FAMILY  WORSHIP  A  CALAMITY 

The  decline  of  family  worship  is  an  ominous  thing 
— one  that  chills  the  heart  of  thoughtful  Christians 
everywhere.  Fifty  years  ago,  according  to  reliable 
testimony,  it  was  the  exception  to  find  a  Christian  home 
without  family  worship.  Today  it  is  the  exceptional 
Christian  home  that  observes  daily  devotions.  In  tens 
of  thousands  of  church  members'  homes  there  is  no 
definite  recognition  of  God — not  even  grace  at  the  table. 
Need  it  be  a  ten  days'  wonder  when  young  people  from 
such  nominally  Christian  homes  grow  up  into  material- 
istic and  worldly  ways?  In  such  homes  the  children 
see  and  hear  much  pertaining  to  business,  society,  par- 
ties, motion  pictures,  and  the  daily  round  of  tangible 
things.  But  they  observe  no  leaning  on  the  Everlast- 
ing Arms,  they  hear  no  calling  on  God  in  prayer,  they 
see  no  recognition  of  His  bounty.  Lo!  the  Bible  rests 
unopened  on  the  table  or  shelf ;  the  hymnals  are  buried 
beneath  sheafs  of  popular  sheet  music !  Is  it  strange 
the  mind  of  youth  in  such  environment  comes  to  think 
of  God  as  present  only  at  church ;  the  Bible  a  book  espe- 
cially for  the  minister,  and  religion  something  inci- 
dental or  apart  from  active,  busy  and  successful  life? 
If  our  children  grow  up  with  no  sense  of  the  intangible, 
who  must  bear  the  blame? 

The  restoration  of  the  family  altar  is  not  an  easy 
task.  Perhaps  it  never  can  be  set  up  just  as  it  was 
fifty  years  ago.  It  is  a  question  whether  some  forms 
of  family  worship  once  in  use  are  desirable  in  this  day. 
One  would  hesitate  to  prescribe  any  particular  form 
of  family  worship  adaptable  to  every  home  and  in 


152  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


every  circumstance.  The  principal  thing  is  a  recogni- 
tion of  God.  If  by  simple  service  at  the  table  with 
readings  from  the  Scripture  or  some  aid  to  worship,  in 
which  the  various  members  may  participate  and  the 
minds  of  the  family  group  turned  Godward,  then  the 
great  purpose  has  been  achieved. 

THE  RAINBOWS  THAT  HALO  THE  FAMILY  ALTAR 

There  is  something  exquisitely  tender  and  withal 
ennobling  that  comes  to  a  home  by  way  of  the  family 
altar.  In  times  of  prosperity  and  joy  it  is  good  to  praise 
God,  to  take  Him  into  sweet  and  intimate  account;  to 
recognize  Him  gladly  and  with  thanksgiving  when 
the  days  are  bright  and  happy  and  all  is  well.  How 
lovely  the  strains  of  a  favorite  hymn  at  such  a  time ;  a 
song  of  jubilant  praise!  How  blessed  to  gather  about 
the  piano  and  all  join  in  the  melody  of  the  grand  old 
hymn,  "O  Thou  Fount  of  Every  Blessing,"  or  to  lift 
the  voices  in  the  more  modern  but  tuneful  "Count  Your 
Many  Blessings,  Name  Them  One  by  One."  To  re- 
member God  in  the  days  of  peace  and  plenitude — there 
is  something  wholesome  and  lovely  in  that.  To  set 
up  a  family  altar  in  the  very  beginnings  of  the  home, 
when  life  is  young  and  love  is  new  and  the  home 
is  rainbowed  with  romance  and  glory — that  is  a  divine 
transaction ! 

Then  when  the  gray  days  come  into  the  home,  as 
come  they  will,  and  the  burdens  fall  heavy,  who  can 
appraise  adequately  the  ministry  of  the  family  altar? 
When  sickness  comes,  when  disappointment's  blasts 
storm  the  domestic  citadel,  when  sorrow  and  suffering 
rest  like  a  pall  over  the  family,  how  unspeakably  great 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE  153 

and  good  is  the  altar  in  the  home!  And  when  death 
invades  the  charmed  circle  and  the  four  corners  of  the 
house  are  smitten,  then  the  habitual  recognition  of  God 
becomes  a  veritable  way  unto  heaven  as  in  the  dream  of 
Jacob,  and  the  home  is  transfigured  into  a  Bethel  with 
God  over  all!  May  it  not  be  that  a  reason  why  so 
many  homes  are  undone  and  frenzied  in  grief  is  be- 
cause of  the  failure  to  recognize  God  daily?  Perforce 
He  seems  afar  off  and  aloof.  But  no  stranger  is  He 
whom  every  day  we  worship  and  by  the  clear  eye  of 
faith  behold !  There  is  one  verse  in  that  justly  famous 
hymn,  "How  Firm  a  Foundation"  the  truth  of  which 
can  be  realized  only  by  practicing  daily  the  presence 
of  God. 

In  every  condition — in  sickness,  in  health, 

In  poverty's  vale,  or  abounding  in  wealth, 

At  home  and  abroad,  on  the  land,  on  the  sea — 

As  your  days  may  demand,  so  your  succor  shall  be. 

WHY  NOT  A  CHURCH  IN  OUR  HOMES? 

It  is  doubtful  if  any  other  impression  is  more  lasting 
on  youthful  minds  than  definite  devotional  habits  in 
the  home.  The  now  sadly  neglected  custom  of  "re- 
turning thanks"  at  the  table  before  the  meal  is  to 
multitudes  of  little  children  the  first  gesture  of  the 
family  toward  God  and  is  a  thing  of  reverence  and  of 
faith  to  a  child's  tender  nature.  The  presence  at  stated 
intervals  of  a  ministerial  guest  in  the  home  has 
wrought  wonders  in  after  years,  and  when  a  guest 
room  is  best  known  to  the  children  as  "the  minister's 
room,"  the  token  is  indeed  a  fortunate  and  favorable 
one. 


154  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


A  noble  Christian  woman  whose  life  has  blessed 
thousands  never  ceased  to  cherish  the  memory  of  a 
very  great  treasure  in  her  home.  It  happened  that  the 
silver  Communion  service  of  the  Church  was  kept  in 
that  home;  the  tankard,  the  goblets,  and  the  plates. 
The  bread  was  made  from  "the  finest  of  wheat,"  the 
red  wine  was  pressed  from  the  "choicest  of  grapes" — 
these  too  were  prepared  in  that  home  and  the  prepara- 
tion was  a  kind  of  Sacrament.  The  joy  and  pride  her 
father  and  mother  took  in  giving  their  best  to  the  care 
of  the  Communion  Service,  and  the  preparing  of  the 
loaf  and  fruit  of  the  vine,  became  a  holy  memory  to 
this  little  girl  who  watched  it  all  with  wondering  eyes. 
Is  it  a  mystery  or  surprising  to  know  that  when  that 
little  girl  grew  to  womanhood  and  went  as  a  bride  to 
grace  her  own  home,  it  was  to  bring  to  the  hearth-stone 
the  ineffable  glory  of  spiritual  ideals? 

Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell,  the  distinguished  Baptist 
minister  and  lecturer,  says  that  in  his  opinion  the 
greatest  hour  in  a  young  man's  life  is  the  hour  when 
he  leads  his  bride  into  the  home  he  has  prepared  for 
her,  and  as  the  two  pass  over  the  threshold  the  young 
man  turns  to  her  and  exclaims:  "This,  my  beloved, 
is  our  home,  I  prepared  it  for  thee;  I  earned  it  for 
thee  in  the  sweat  of  my  brow.  Pass  thou  in  and  reign 
here  Queen  of  my  heart  and  house."  I  can  think  of 
only  one  hour  greater  than  this  and  that  is  the  hour 
when  a  young  couple  begin  their  wedded  life  with 
prayer  together  for  God's  blessing  to  attend  them  in 
the  wonder  and  glory  of  home  making. 

At  the  time  of  the  terrible  influenza  scourge  in  191 8, 
I  made  a  call  in  a  home  which  had  for  guest  the  grand- 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THY  HOUSE 


155 


mother  who  resided  in  a  distant  State.  This  lovely 
woman,  whose  beautiful  white  hair  was  a  crown  of 
glory,  proudly  showed  me  a  group  picture  of  her  oldest 
son's  family.  There  were  three  attractive  children, 
and  the  five  made  as  blessed  a  circle  as  one  could  wish 
to  see.  The  grandmother  told  me  that  that  family 
was  joyously  Christian.  Their  home  life  was  simply 
and  delightfully  devotional.  They  had  a  Church  in 
their  house.  When  the  epidemic  closed  the  Church  in 
the  little  town  where  they  held  membership  it  deprived 
them  of  public  worship  only.  On  Sunday  morning 
the  five  enjoyed  a  period  of  prayer  and  praise.  The 
father  took  charge;  the  mother  led  in  prayer;  the 
oldest  of  the  children  read  aloud  from  the  Psalms; 
another  offered  prayer,  and  they  all  sang  from  the 
Hymnals.  Each  member  of  the  family  took  part  and 
the  service,  while  brief,  was  impressive  and  joyful 
throughout. 

Compared  with  this,  how  poor  religion's  pride 

In  all  the  pomp  of  method  and  of  art, 

When  men  display  to  congregations  wide, 

Devotion's  every  grace  except  the  heart! 

The  power  incensed,  the  pageant  will  desert 

The  pompous  strain,  the  sacerdotal  stole; 

But,  haply  in  some  cottage  far  apart, 

Will  hear  well  pleased,  the  language  of  the  Soul, 

And  in  His  book  of  life  the  inmates  poor  enroll. 

My  brethren,  we  should  have  a  church  in  our  homes! 
The  gatherings  in  the  family  circle  should,  at  least  once 
a  day,  be  called  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  recognizing  Our  Heavenly  Father.  If  we 
have  not  yet  set  up  some  form  of  the  family  altar,  let 
us  agree  to  establish  it  now.    If  the  altar  was  at  one 


156  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

time  in  our  homes  but  has  been  neglected  and  ignored, 
let  us  resolve  to  reetablish  it  at  once.  The  House  of 
God  has  its  inspiring  and  fruitful  place  in  the  life  of 
the  world.  Public  worship  cannot  be  superseded  or 
replaced  entirely  by  worship  in  the  home.  We  have 
need  for  both ;  moreover,  we  can  have  both. 


XII 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING 
A  Meditation  on  a  Memorable  Hymn 


Psalm  23. 

Jehovah  is  my  shepherd;  I  shall  not  want. 
He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pas- 
tures; 

He  leadeth  me  beside  still  waters. 

He  restoreth  my  soul; 

He  guideth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness for  his  name's  sake. 

Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death, 

I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me ; 

Thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me. 

Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the 
presence  of  mine  enemies: 

Thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with  oil; 

My  cup  runneth  over. 

Surely  goodness  and  loving  kindness  shall 
follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life ; 

And  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah 
for  ever. 


XII 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING 

A  MEDITATION  ON  A  MEMORABLE  HYMN 

"He  Leadeth  Me." — Psalm  23  :2. 

The  Psalms  of  Israel  have  been  called  "The  Songs 
of  a  thousand  years."  Subsequent  to  the  book  of 
Law,  the  devout  Jew  loved  the  Psalter;  and  along  side 
of  his  Bible  the  Christian  reverently  places  his  hymn 
book.  How  impoverished  the  world  would  be  without 
its  Christian  hymns!  It  is  impossible  to  say  which 
has  accomplished  the  most  good,  the  preaching  or  the 
singing  of  the  gospel.  Christianity  is  preeminently 
a  singing  religion.  It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  a  great 
truth  of  the  Christian  faith  that  is  not  associated  in 
our  minds  with  some  impressive  hymn. 
Is  it  God's  love  for  the  world  as  manifested  in  His 
great  Gift? 

O  Love  Divine,  that  stooped  to  share 
Our  sharpest  pang,  our  bitterest  tear? 

Is  it  the  atonement? 

There  is  a  green  hill  far  away, 

Without  a  city  wall : 
Where  the  dear  Lord  was  crucified, 

Who  died  to  save  us  all. 
159 


160  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Is  it  the  missionary  passion? 

Bear  the  news  to  every  land, 
Climb  the  steeps  and  cross  the  wave. 
Onward,  'tis  the  Lord's  command, 
Jesus  saves,  Jesus  saves. 

Is  it  comfort  for  the  bereaved  heart? 

Come,  ye  disconsolate,  where'er  you  languish; 

Come,  at  the  shrine  of  God  fervently  kneel; 

Here  bring  your  wounded  hearts,  here  tell  your  anguish, 

Earth  has  no  sorrow  that  heaven  cannot  heal. 

Is  it  submission  and  resignation  to  God's  will? 

My  Saviour,  as  thou  wilt — 

0  may  thy  will  be  mine ! 
Into  thy  hand  of  love 

1  would  my  all  resign. 

Is  it  prayer? 

Sweet  hour  of  prayer,  sweet  hour  of  prayer. 
That  calls  me  from  a  world  of  care. 

Whatever  the  aspect  of  Christian  truth,  there  is  a 
hymn  to  extol  it,  a  stanza  to  glorify  it,  a  verse  to 
memorialize  it.  From  the  many  great  hymns,  one  such 
is  presented  here  for  our  study  and  profit.  It  is  a  hymn 
that  has  for  its  imagery  the  lovely  pastoral  metaphor 
of  the  most  familiar  of  all  the  Psalms — the  twenty- 
third;  a  hymn  known  to  millions  by  the  title  "He 
Leadeth  Me." 

The  hymn  was  written  by  Professor  J.  H.  Gilmore, 
who  was  born  in  Boston  April  29,  1834,  and  died  at 
Rochester,  New  York,  in  191 9.  He  composed  the 
hymn  in  1862  in  the  very  darkest  period  of  the  Civil 
War.  The  writing  of  it  was  purely  an  inspiration. 
Mr.  Gilmore  was  at  that  time  acting  as  supply  in  the 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING  161 


pulpit  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia. 
One  of  his  duties  was  to  give  a  somewhat  extended 
talk  at  the  mid-week  Prayer  service.  He  commenced 
a  series  of  expositions  of  the  twenty-third  Psalm,  but 
in  the  first  address  he  got  no  further  than  the  words, 
"He  Leadeth  Me."  That  night  he  saw  a  depth  of 
meaning  in  those  words  that  he  had  never  seen  before. 
He  spoke  for  half  an  hour  on  the  one  clause,  "He 
Leadeth  Me."  After  the  meeting  was  over,  Mr.  Gil- 
more  went  to  the  home  of  a  member  of  the  church, 
accompanied  by  a  number  of  friends  who  had  attended 
the  meeting.  The  little  company  sat  up  until  late  talk- 
ing about  the  blessed  assurance  of  Divine  leadership. 
During  the  conversation  Mr.  Gilmore  took  out  his 
pencil  and  wrote  on  the  back  of  an  envelope  "He 
Leadeth  Me,"  just  as  it  stands  today,  with  one  excep- 
tion ;  the  stanzas  as  originally  written  were  of  six  lines. 
His  wife  sent  the  poem  to  the  Watchman  and  Re- 
flector, a  leading  religious  journal  of  that  day.  Wil- 
liam B.  Bradbury,  the  composer,  read  the  verses  and 
at  once  recognized  their  merit.  He  took  two  lines  off 
each  stanza  and  added  two  others  to  make  the  chorus 
and  set  the  words  to  music.  From  the  very  first  the 
words  and  tune  seemed  inseparable. ,  To  quote  a  com- 
petent critic,  "Few  hymn  composers  have  so  exactly 
caught  the  tone  and  spirit  of  their  texts  as  Bradbury 
did  when  he  vocalized  the  gliding  measures  of  'He 
Leadeth  Me.'  " 

A  study  of  this  memorable  hymn  reveals  the  fact 
that  the  exalted  theme  is  developed,  and  enriched, 
stanza  by  stanza,  reaching  "A  glorious  summit"  in  the 
fourth  and  last. 


162  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


The  hymn  rightly  opens  with  the  transcendent 
thought  that  the  leading  is  of  the  Lord. 

He  leadeth  me,  O  blessed  thought ! 

O  words  with  Heavenly  comfort  fraught! 

Whate'er  I  do,  where'er  I  be, 

Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 

Thus  the  first  line  fixes  the  mind  on  Divine  leader- 
ship and  bids  the  weary  soul  rest  securely  in  God.  The 
Lord's  leading  is  a  favorite  theme  of  the  Bible  writers, 
and  the  idea  is  presented  and  expanded  under  various 
figures.  In  Exodus  3  :2  it  is  written  "And  Jehovah 
went  before  them  by  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  to  lead 
them  the  way,  and  by  night  by  a  pillar  of  fire  to  give 
them  light."  John  Henry  Newman  employs  felici- 
tously the  familiar  and  eloquent  figure  in  his  "Lead 
kindly  Light!  amid  th'  encircling  gloom."  The  meta- 
phor is  impressive  even  though  it  is  impersonal  and 
the  thought  somewhat  abstract.  The  twenty-third 
Psalm  portrays  the  Lord's  leading  under  the  similitude 
of  the  Oriental  shepherd  who  knows  his  sheep  by  name 
and  goes  before  them  providing  green  pastures  and 
ample  protection  against  their  natural  enemies.  The 
imagery  is  attractive  even  to  us  moderns,  and  "thy  rod 
and  thy  staff"  a  precious  and  comforting  assurance. 
In  this  hymn,  however,  the  Leader  is  contemplated  not 
wholly  as  a  shepherd,  but  as  the  Heavenly  Father. 
The  idea  is  fuller  and  farther  advanced  than  the  con- 
ception of  God  as  revealed  in  the  Old  Testament. 
There  God  is  first  revealed  as  Creator  with  the  idea  of 
force  uppermost,  then  as  Ruler  of  the  universe  with 
the  idea  of  law  as  supreme,  and  finally  through  the 
prophets  of  Israel  as  an  Infinite  Personality,  a  God  of 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING  163 


justice,  purity  and  righteousness.  The  thought  here 
is  of  Christ  who  taught  us  by  word  and  deed  that  the 
Heavenly  Father  knows  and  cares,  and  is  not  willing 
that  the  least  of  His  children  should  perish. 

"  'Tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth."  Surely  these  are 
words  with  Heavenly  comfort  fraught,  words  that  have 
brought  peace  and  comfort  to  many  a  troubled  soul. 
When  President  Garfield  was  lying  on  a  bed  of  suffer- 
ing from  which  he  was  not  to  rise,  he  heard  his  wife 
singing  in  an  adjoining  room,  the  words  "Guide  me, 
O  Thou  great  Jehovah!"  As  he  listened,  the  wan  face 
of  the  stricken  president  lighted  up  radiantly,  and  to 
a  watcher  by  his  bedside  he  exclaimed,  "Isn't  it  beauti- 
ful, isn't  it  full  of  comfort?"  Some  years  ago  Rud- 
yard  Kipling  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death  in  a  New 
York  hospital  and  all  hope  of  his  recovery  had  been 
abandoned.  His  nurse  asked  him  with  tender  solicitude 
if  there  was  anything  he  wanted.  "Yes,"  he  replied 
feebly,  "I  want,  I  want  my  Heavenly  Father."  When 
Alexander  Campbell  was  dying,  his  wife  bending  over 
him,  whispered :  "The  blessed  Savior  will  go  with  you 
all  the  way."  Mr.  Campbell  opened  his  eyes  and  ex- 
claimed :  "That  He  will,  that  He  will."  Oh,  blessed, 
thrice  blessed  is  the  man  or  woman  who  is  able  to  say 
in  deep  conviction  and  with  unfaltering  faith,  "He 
Leadeth  Me." 

In  the  second  stanza  the  thought  is  of  life's  changing 
scenes  through  which  the  Unchanging  Leader  leads  on. 

Sometimes  mid  scenes  of  deepest  gloom, 
Sometimes  where  Eden's  bowers  bloom, 
By  waters  still,  o'er  troubled  sea 
Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 


164  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


This  stanza  is  the  most  poetic  of  the  four.  The 
antithesis  is  striking  and  the  phrases  set  in  opposition 
were  chosen  with  discrimination  and  an  eye  to  form 
and  color.  What  could  be  lovelier  than  "Eden's 
bowers"?  The  imagination  fashions  a  garden  of  de- 
light where  flowers  bloom  in  profusion  amid  a  tangle 
of  vine  and  leaf ;  a  lovely  spot  where  soft  and  fragrant 
breezes  blow  and  the  songs  of  birds  fill  the  air  with 
melody  of  the  wildwood;  and  over  all  the  sunlight 
pours  a  golden  flood.  Side  by  side  with  this  Edenic 
scene  is  another  and  of  "deepest  gloom."  The  paeon  has 
become  a  threnody,  mirth  gives  place  to  lamentation, 
there  is  experience  of  barren  gain  and  bitter  loss.  "By 
waters  still";  here  the  poet  borrows  from  the  shep- 
herd's Psalm  again.  The  scene  is  one  of  serenity,  of 
pastoral  beauty,  and  with  peace  brooding  over  all. 
"Troubled  sea";  old  ocean  in  the  grip  of  a  raging 
storm,  breakers  thundering  against  the  rock-bound 
coast,  a  ship  in  distress,  and  sailors  straining  their  eyes 
through  the  darkness  searching  vainly  for  a  harbor 
light.  Such  are  the  diverse  and  different  scenes  sug- 
gested by  these  striking  phrases. 

The  strong  and  vivid  contrasts  of  this  stanza  are 
fully  warranted  by  the  facts  of  life.  The  four  seasons 
of  the  year  mirror  the  seasons  of  the  soul,  and  the 
varied  experiences  that  distinguish  our  days.  Verily 
we  spend  our  years  as  a  tale  that  is  told,  and  no  tale 
is  worth  the  telling  that  does  not  involve  life's  endless 
variations.  Like  the  changing  landscape,  so  are  our 
lives.  The  "Heaven  kissing  hill,"  the  desert  plain,  the 
verdant  meadow,  and  the  dark  forest  of  hidden  peril, 
God  has  joined  together  the  light  and  the  shadow. 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING  165 


Both  are  very  real;  both  are  parts  of  an  infinite  plan 
and  necessary  to  man's  best  growth.  Moreover  change 
and  decay  lose  their  terror  in  the  presence  of  a  Guide 
v/ho  changeth  not,  and  One  able  to  conduct  us  through 
the  "valley  of  the  shadow."  Mr.  Moody  delighted  to 
tell  of  a  man  who  placed  the  inscription  "God  is  Love" 
on  a  weathervane  and  in  letters  large  enough  to  be  read 
by  passers-by.  When  someone  chided  the  man  with 
irreverence,  saying,  "Do  you  mean  to  publish  to  the 
world  the  belief  that  God  is  as  fickle  as  the  wind?" 
He  answered,  "No,  not  at  all,  I  want  people  to  know 
that  I  believe  that  God  is  love  whichever  way  the 
wind  blows." 

The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth,  but  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  today,  and  forever.  Bet- 
ter the  changing  scene  and  a  Changeless  Leader  than 
bowers  of  perennial  beauty  and  no  one  to  guide  us  into 
the  abundant  life  of  the  spirit.  St.  Paul  was  persuaded 
"That  neither  death  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  princi- 
palities, nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
powers,  nor  heights,  nor  depths,  nor  any  other  creature 
shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  So  amid  the  varying 
scenes  from  "Eden's  bowers"  to  "deepest  gloom,"  and 
"by  waters  still"  and  "o'er  troubled  sea,"  our  God 
leads  us  on. 

In  the  third  stanza  the  Leader  becomes  the  Great 
Companion  and  goeth  not  ahead  of  us  but  at  our  side. 

Lord,  I  would  clasp  Thy  hand  in  mine, 
Nor  ever  murmur  or  repine, 
Content,  whatever  lot  I  see, 
Since  'tis  my  God  that  leadeth  me. 


166  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

In  the  first  and  second  stanzas,  God's  hand  steadies 
and  guides.  Here  the  tender  and  comforting  thought 
is  that  He  holds  the  hands  of  His  child,  companying 
with  him  in  blessed  comradeship.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  explain  so  beautiful  an  allusion;  the  parental  heart 
understands  it  thoroughly.  Whoever  has  felt  the  clasp 
of  a  little  hand  in  which  there  was  trust  and  perfect 
confidence,  understands  the  full  import  of  the  line 
"Lord,  I  would  clasp  Thy  hand  in  mine." 

A  distinguished  American  minister  used  to  tell  with 
deep  emotion  an  incident  which  occurred  when  he  and 
his  little  seven-year-old  son  were  taking  a  trip  together. 
They  occupied  the  same  seat  on  the  train,  the  lad  sitting 
next  to  the  window,  his  face  pressed  against  the  glass 
watching  the  flying  landscape ;  the  father  next  the  aisle 
reading  a  magazine.  Suddenly  without  warning,  the 
train  plunged  into  a  tunnel  blotting  out  the  daylight 
instantly.  Quickly  the  little  fellow  pressed  his  father's 
side,  felt  for  his  hand,  and  having  found  it,  contentedly 
held  it  until  the  tunnel  was  passed  and  the  darkness 
ended.  The  pith  of  this  story  is  not  that  it  is  unusual 
but  that  it  is  a  touching  instance  of  a  love  and  trust 
which  every  parent  knows. 

The  idea  of  companionship  is  dominant  in  this  stanza 
and  the  Leader  is  contemplated  not  as  going  before  but 
with  us  and  at  our  side.  To  endure  as  seeing  Him 
who  is  invisible  is  to  walk  with  the  Great  Companion. 
The  presence  of  a  fourth  Person  in  the  fiery  furnace 
with  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  is  more  than 
an  episode  of  Old  Testament  history.  It  is  a  Divine 
symbol,  a  token  of  "The  Comrade  in  White."  The 
consciousness  of  Divine  Companionship  stoutened  the 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING  167 


heart  of  Peter  in  prison,  imparted  courage  to  Paul  in 
the  shipwreck  that  befell  him  on  his  voyage  to  Rome, 
supplied  patience  to  Livingstone  m  darkest  Africa,  and 
nourished  the  faith  of  Gordon  at  Khartoum.  Jesus  is 
here.  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world"  is  the  most  precious  promise  our  Lord 
uttered. 

The  fourth  and  final  stanza  carries  the  thought  of 
the  Lord's  leading  to  the  last  lap  of  the  journey. 

And  when  my  task  on  earth  is  done, 
When  by  Thy  grace  the  victory's  won, 
E'en  death's  cold  wave  I  will  not  flee, 
Since  God  through  Jordan  leadeth  me. 

There  is  a  certain  somberness  in  the  figure  with 
which  the  hymn  closes.  Death  is  pictured  under  the 
similitude  of  a  river  with  waters  swollen  and  cold.  The 
metaphor  is  a  favorite  with  hymn  writers  generally, 
and  its  origin  is  easily  traced.  The  river  Jordan  was 
the  natural  barrier  between  the  children  of  Israel  and 
the  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  The  one-time 
popular  "On  Jordan's  Stormy  Banks"  identifies  the 
Promised  Land  with  the  Heavenly  Home,  the  river  of 
death  "lying  darkly  between."  John  Bunyan  in  his 
vivid  description  of  Christian  and  Hopeful  struggling 
with  the  river  and  then  gaining  at  last  the  shining 
shore,  has  had  much  to  do  in  popularizing  the  figure. 
In  "My  Faith  Looks  Up  to  Thee"  occurs  the  dismal 
line  "death's  cold  sullen  stream"  and  in  another  and 
a  lesser  known  hymn  the  refrain  is  "No,  the  waters 
will  not  chill  me,  no  the  waters  will  not  chill  me,  when 
I  go  down  to  die."  One  prefers  of  all  the  hymns  of 
this  character,  "Shall  we  gather  at  the  river"  with  its 


168  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


tender  line  "the  beautiful,  the  beautiful  river."  Yes, 
"beautiful,"  but  only  so  because  One  goeth  with  us 
Who  is  able  to  breast  the  wave. 

In  the  light  of  Christ's  teaching  the  river  of  death 
loses  its  terror  and  becomes  "Such  a  tide  as  moving 
seems  asleep,  too  full  for  sound  or  foam."  Our  Great 
Companion  goes  with  us  all  the  way.  The  author  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  avers  that  by  the  grace  of 
God,  Christ  tasted  death  for  every  man.  He  went 
down  into  the  grave  but  it  was  not  able  to  hold  Him.  It 
is  as  though  He  spoke  to  us  saying,  "When  thou  passeth 
through  the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  through 
the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee." 

Thus  beginning  with  the  strong  affirmation  that  it  is 
the  Lord  who  leads,  then  vividly  contrasting  the  chang- 
ing scenes  of  this  life  through  which  the  Changeless 
Leader  leads,  complete  dependence  upon  the  Great 
Companion  is  then  acknowledged,  and  with  a  strain 
of  victory  the  last  lap  of  the  journey  is  reached  with 
the  Lord  still  leading  us  into  the  unknown  future. 
Listen  now  to  this  hymn  as  it  moves  in  majestic  rhythm 
like  a  noble  river  approaching  the  ocean  and  "turns 
again  home." 

He  leadeth  me,  O  blessed  thought, 

O  words  with  Heavenly  comfort  fraught! 

What'er  I  do,  where'er  I  be, 

Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 


Sometimes  mid  scenes  of  deepest  gloom, 
Sometimes  where  Eden's  bowers  bloom, 
By  waters  still,  o'er  troubled  sea — 
Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  leadeth  me. 


THE  LORD'S  LEADING  169 


Lord,  I  would  clasp  Thy  hand  in  mine, 
Nor  ever  murmur  or  repine, 
Content,  whatever  lot  I  see. 
Since  'tis  my  God  that  leadeth  me. 

And  when  my  task  on  earth  is  done, 
When  by  Thy  grace  the  victory's  won, 
E'en  death's  cold  wave  I  will  not  flee, 
Since  God  through  Jordan  leadeth  me. 

The  power  of  this  hymn  and  its  influence  over  the 
lives  of  men  and  women  could  be  illustrated  by  many 
touching  incidents.  It  has  been  the  favorite  hymn  of 
hosts  of  Christian  people;  it  has  been  sung  at  thou- 
sands of  funeral  services;  it  has  been  read  by  many  a 
shut-in  with  tear-dimmed  eyes,  and  a  great  hope  welling 
in  the  heart.  Amid  the  awful  suffering  and  sorrow  of 
the  Armenian  massacres,  this  hymn  brought  a  ministry 
of  comfort  and  of  healing.  A  young  woman  mission- 
ary of  the  American  Board  in  Turkey,  saw  the  depar- 
ture of  hundreds  of  Armenians  going  into  exile,  and 
wrote  the  heart-rending  description  to  an  American 
friend.  The  poor  persecuted  Armenians  were  going 
to  their  death  and  they  knew  it.  They  could  have 
purchased  prolongation  of  life  and  freedom  if  they 
had  denied  their  Lord;  but  that  they  never  considered 
for  a  moment.  The  scene  of  their  deportation  was 
melting  in  the  extreme,  yet  the  poor  tortured  and  loyal 
souls  praised  God  and  glorified  the  name  of  His  Son.. 
Tears  streamed  down  the  faces  of  the  men  and  women 
who  were  giving  up  their  all  for  their  faith.  They 
clasped  the  hands  of  the  Missionaries  and  prayed  and 
wept  over  them.  They  all  met  in  one  final  service  of 
prayer  and  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  at  its  close 
they  raised  their  voices  in  the  hymn  "He  Leadeth  Me," 


170  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


and  from  the  singing  of  these  words  went  out  and  on  to 
death  and  glory. 

"He  Leadeth  Me"  is  precious  to  me  because  it  was 
the  favorite  of  a  beloved  kinsman  to  whom  I  owe  an 
unpayable  debt.  My  dear  kinsman  was  not  a  musician 
and  his  singing  voice  was  not  strong,  but  he  was  a 
sincere  and  loyal  Christian  and  he  loved  the  great 
hymns  of  the  church.  At  service  on  Lord's  day  morn- 
ing this  was  one  of  the  few  hymns  in  which  he  in- 
variably joined.  He  was  particularly  fond  of  the 
chorus.  As  he  went  about  his  work  he  loved  to  sing 
this  hymn  softly  and  over  and  over  again.  Sometimes 
he  sang  it  in  the  summer  twilight  sitting  under  the 
trees  in  front  of  the  house,  at  peace  with  God  and  man. 
Sometimes  he  sang  the  first  stanza  and  the  chorus  in 
the  sitting-room  when  the  long  winter  nights  were  on 
and  the  anthracite  stove  glowed  like  a  ball  of  fire. 
There  are  times  when  I  fancy  I  can  still  hear  him 
singing  the  chorus  of  "He  Leadeth  Me";  singing  it 
soft  and  low ;  singing  it  out  of  an  unshaken  faith  and 
a  hope  which  anchored  his  soul  within  the  Veil ;  sing- 
ing it  now  in  a  nobler,  sweeter  strain,  amidst  the  glory 
of  the  Father's  Home  and  those  loved  long  since  and 
lost  a  while. 

He  leadeth  me,  He  leadeth  me; 
By  His  own  hand  He  leadeth  me ; 
His  faithful  follower  I  would  be, 
For  by  His  hand  He  leadeth  me. 


XIII 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES 
The  Nature  of  Jesus'  Peace,  and  How  and  Why  It 
Differs  from  the  World's  Peace 


John  16:33. 

These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that 
in  Me  ye  may  have  peace.  In  the  world  ye 
have  tribulation:  but  be  of  good  cheer;  I  have 
overcome  the  world. 


XIII 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES 

Was  there  ever  a  stranger  peace  conference  than  that 
one  of  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem  nineteen  centuries 
ago?  How  far  removed  and  how  different  this  assem- 
bly from  those  famous  peace  conferences  where  the 
victors  in  battle  have  dictated  terms  to  the  conquered 
foe.  Such  councils  have  usually  met  in  palatial  rooms 
flanked  by  the  spectacle  of  earthly  power  and  glory. 
Pomp  and  pageantry  have  always  been  in  evidence 
when  nations  have  assumed  the  role  of  peace-making. 
How  difficult  it  is  for  peace  to  emerge  from  an  atmos- 
phere of  war.  Fuss  and  feathers  smother;  sword  and 
saber  intimidate;  the  kingdom  of  peace  cometh  not  by 
violence. 

Gathered  in  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem  was  a 
group  of  men,  plain,  simple  men,  and  with  them  their 
Teacher,  Companion  and  Friend  met  together  for  the 
last  time  ere  the  great  storm  broke.  The  shadows  were 
long  and  deep  in  that  room,  and  they  fell  darkly  across 
the  little  company  who  for  nearly  three  years  had  been 
partakers  of  a  great  privilege.  These  men  were  anx- 
ious now  and  nervous.  They  were  filled  with  appre- 
hension of  impending  peril.  The  signs  and  tokens 
were  ominous;  a  tragedy  seemed  confronting  them,  but 
just  when  and  how  and  where,  they  knew  not.  Yet 
173 


174.  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


there  was  one  in  that  room  upon  whom  no  shadow  fell. 
He  was  calm,  clear-eyed,  composed  and  serene.  He 
sat  there  talking  with  His  friends,  simply,  tenderly, 
intimately.  Surely  no  man  ever  spoke  as  Jesus  spoke 
that  night  in  the  upper  room.  Such  a  conversation 
there  never  was  before  or  since,  and  toward  its  close 
Jesus  said:  "These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you  that 
in  Me  you  might  have  peace." 

What  things?  Why  the  great  utterances  that  had 
preceded  this  statement.  They  are  many  of  them  and 
they  distinguish  His  conversation  that  last  night  as 
stars  of  the  first  magnitude  distinguish  the  Heavens. 
Listen  to  the  music  of  these  words : 

Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled;  believe  in  God,  be- 
lieve also  in  Me.  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  man- 
sions; if  it  were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you;  for  I 
go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 

Have  I  been  so  long  time  with  you,  and  dost  thou  not 
know  me,  Philip  ?  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the 
Father. 

Ye  are  my  friends,  if  you  do  the  things  which  I  com- 
mand you. 

If  ye  abide  in  Me,  and  My  words  abide  in  you,  ask 
whatever  you  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you. 

This  is  my  commandment,  that  you  love  one  another, 
even  as  I  have  loved  you. 

Peace  I  leave  with  you;  My  peace  I  give  unto  you; 
not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you. 

JESUS'  PEACE  IS  INWARD  REST 

Jesus'  phrase  "My  peace"  is  distinctly  interesting 
and  thought-inciting.    What  is  the  peace  which  He 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES 


175 


intimates  is  unlike  the  peace  the  world  gives?  I 
daresay  that  most  of  us  are  mistaken  as  to  the  nature 
of  Jesus'  peace.  When  we  think  of  His  peaceful  life, 
is  it  to  dream  that  His  days  and  years  were  such,  say, 
as  the  poet  Wordsworth  spent  in  the  lovely  lake  region 
of  England,  quietly,  serenely?  If  we  have  so  thought 
we  are  in  error.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from  the 
truth.  For  at  least  three  years,  the  years  of  His  public 
ministry,  Jesus  lived  amidst  untoward  conditions  and 
in  almost  constant  controversy  and  opposition.  He 
was  subject  to  numerous  disturbing  and  disagreeable 
experiences.  His  own  family  were  unsympathetic  with 
His  mission.  His  kinsmen  made  His  work  more  diffi- 
cult and  were  critical  of  much  that  He  said  and  did. 
He  was  never  free  from  the  inconveniences  of  poverty. 
After  His  public  ministry  began,  He  seems  never  to 
have  known  the  comforts  of  a  home  which  He  might 
call  His  own  and  to  which  He  might  retire  for  rest  and 
reflection.  His  oft-quoted  words — "The  foxes  have 
holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son 
of  Man  has  not  where  to  lay  His  head" — were  not 
poetry  or  rhetorical  figure,  but  soberest  truth.  The 
leading  Churchmen  of  His  day,  who  should  have  been 
His  friends  and  supporters,  were  His  bitterest  enemies. 
They  regarded  Him  as  a  heretic,  an  impostor,  and  a 
dangerous  fellow-countryman.  His  was  the  heart- 
breaking experience  to  have  the  good  that  He  did 
attributed  to  the  power  of  evil.  His  chosen  disciples 
gave  Him  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  often  disappointed 
Him,  sometimes  embarrassed  Him  and  made  His 
rugged  way  more  rugged  still. 

Yet,  despite  the  annoyances,  the  turmoil,  and  the 


176  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


strife  in  which  Jesus  lived,  the  peace  that  passeth  all 
understanding  reigned  in  His  heart.  However  turbu- 
lent His  surroundings,  inwardly  He  was  at  repose.  It 
was  Jesus'  inner  peace  that  made  Him  conqueror  of 
outward  unrest.  He  lived  in  harmony  with  the 
Father's  will,  and  His  conscience  was  as  untroubled  as 
the  placid  surface  of  a  mountain  lake  when  the  wind 
has  died  down  and  a  calm  settles  over  all.  No  mem- 
ories of  a  misspent  youth  rose  up  to  haunt  Him,  no 
feeling  of  remorse  or  sorrow  of  sin  darkened  the  mir- 
ror of  His  spotless  life.  Thus  He  moved  amidst  the 
distractions,  the  disappointments,  the  conflicts  and 
controversies  of  His  day,  calm,  serene,  self-possessed, 
at  peace  with  God.  The  peace  of  Jesus,  therefore,  was 
an  inward  experience,  not  an  outward  environment, 
certainly  not  freedom  from  the  burdens  of  life.  The 
way  He  took  was  often  painful,  but  His  walk  was  one 
whose  steps  were  in  perfect  alignment  with  the  will  of 
the  Heavenly  Father. 

THE  WORLD'S  PEACE  IS  OUTWARD  CALM 

The  world  in  general  regards  peace  as  an  end,  rather 
than  a  means.  It  conceives  peace  to  be  the  cessation  of 
war,  stoppage  of  conflict,  restoration  of  law  and  order. 
This  is  desirable,  to  be  sure,  but  the  bitter  truth  is  that 
real  peace  is  not  attainable  by  mere  outward  adjust- 
ment. Moreover,  peace,  enduring  peace,  is  not  only 
the  ending  of  one  order  that  has  been  weighed  in  the 
balance  and  found  wanting,  it  is  the  beginning  of  a 
new  and  better  order  in  which  justice,  righteousness 
and  brotherhood  are  to  prevail.  Alas!  it  is  only  too 
true  that  we  are  all  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  affected 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES 


177 


with  the  worldly  idea  of  peace.  We  stress  outward 
things,  and  look  for  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom 
through  exterior  processes.  The  world  as  yet  has 
failed  to  make  a  lasting  peace.  Time  and  time  again 
great  peace  councils  have,  by  the  very  terms  of  peace 
the  victor  sought  to  impose,  sown  the  seeds  of  future 
wars. 

Great  Captains  with  their  guns  and  drums, 
Disturb  our  judgment  for  the  hour. 
But  at  last  silence  comes — 

Yes,  silence  comes,  and  just  about  the  time  when 
sober  reflection  and  careful  judgment  is  replacing  the 
fever  and  excitement  of  war,  great  captains  with  their 
guns  and  drums  disturb  our  judgment  again; — disturb 
it  with  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  loosing  of  the  dogs 
of  war  upon  a  helpless  society.  The  world  professes 
to  love  peace,  brotherhood  and  justice,  but  conquerors 
and  victors  are  quick  to  make  sure  that  the  balance  of 
power  is  on  their  side,  and  that  armies  and  navies  big 
enough  to  keep  the  peace  are  in  training  and  ready  for 
action. 

Few  of  us  are  free  from  the  opinion  that  outside 
favorable  conditions  are  able  to  produce  of  themselves 
inward  repose.  We  think,  for  instance,  that  the  pos- 
session of  sufficient  wealth  to  protect  us  from  the  an- 
noyances and  anxieties  attendant  on  meager  incomes 
and  heavy  outlays  would  produce  a  peace,  where  now 
there  is  only  distraction  and  anxiety.  That  it  might 
help  accomplish  this  is  freely  granted,  that  society  as  a 
whole  ought  to  be  protected  from  the  fear  of  poverty 
as  well  as  the  handicap  of  it  is  likewise  granted.  Yet, 
even  so,  the  most  generous  provisions,  the  most  ample 


178  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


safeguarding  of  this  kind  cannot  of  itself  produce 
inward  calm.  There  are  many  living  amid  physical 
conditions  that  are  favorable  to  rest,  recreation  and 
wide  travel  who  are  inwardly  in  a  constant  state  of 
turbulency,  turmoil,  and  strife.  Tribulations,  however, 
of  one  kind  or  another  await  the  sons  of  men  every- 
where, and  wait  us  despite  wealth,  genius,  and  even 
godly  living.  These  tribulations  are  inescapable,  but 
they  are  conquerable.  Jesus  overcame  them,  and  the 
same  power  that  enabled  Him  to  overcome,  He  assures 
us,  will  enable  us  to  overcome.  It  is  the  inner  peace 
that  counts.  Given  the  inner  peace  and  the  ideals  and 
teachings  of  Jesus,  and  the  result  is  a  peace  such  as 
the  world  cannot  give  because  the  world  has  it  not. 

Why  is  it  that  society  is  slow  to  accept  Christ's 
peace?  Why  is  it  that  individuals  are  prone  to  turn 
elsewhere  for  power,  only  to  meet  disappointment? 
Is  it  because  we  do  not  understand  the  nature  of  His 
peace?  Possibly.  But  a  better  explanation  is  that  we 
are  not  willing  to  receive  His  peace  on  the  simple  terms 
He  offers  it.  It  is  not  true  that  the  peace  of  God  is 
given  without  conditions,  even  though  it  be  freely  given 
and  given  to  all  men.  "These  things  have  I  spoken  that 
in  me  you  might  have  peace."  Ah,  yes,  the  things 
spoken  in  that  conversation  at  the  table,  we  must  not 
forget  them.  They  are  all-important,  they  are  funda- 
mental. Summarized,  these  things  are  as  follows — 
"Abide  in  Me."  Let  "My  words  abide  in  you."  "Love 
one  another  even  as  I  have  loved  you."  "Keep  My 
commandments."  "Bear  much  fruit."  "Bear  wit- 
ness." "Ask  and  ye  shall  receive."  "I  have  given  you 
an  example  that  you  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you." 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES  179 


"Be  of  good  cheer."  The  peace  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an 
inward  rest,  but  it  is  more,  it  is  a  way  of  life  in  which 
love,  justice,  mercy,  forgiveness,  find  radiant  demon- 
stration. 

"When  he  called  upon  men  to  follow  him,  to  share 
his  baptism  and  drink  his  cup,"  says  W.  E.  Orchard, 
"He  was  not  mocking  them  with  impossible  ideals. 
He  was  asking  them  to  be  as  he  was,  to  live  for  the 
same  ends,  to  undertake  the  same  task.  Jesus  invited 
men  to  his  ethical  and  spiritual  level.  The  blunting  of 
this  call  by  the  declaration  that  Jesus  can  never  be 
followed  by  mortal  men  is  responsible  for  the  low  state 
of  Christian  discipleship." 

Candor  compels  the  admission  that  the  world's  idea 
of  peace  is  still  influential  in  the  churches.  Here  too, 
the  emphasis  is  largely  on  outward  conformity,  the  de- 
pendence on  ecclesiastical  and  doctrinal  regularity. 
These  have  been  only  too  often  the  weapons  of 
Christendom  to  enforce  uniformity  and  promote  ap- 
pearance of  solidarity.  The  various  denominations, 
after  the  fashion  of  nations,  have  their  "war  parties," 
their  "jingoes"  and  "dollar  diplomacy."  These  power- 
ful elements  are  intent  on  preserving  traditional  ideas 
and  time-worn  methods,  by  recourse  to  sectarian  arma- 
ment and  threat  of  excommunication  or  brand  of 
heresy  and  stigma  of  unorthodoxy.  Thus  has  the 
cause  of  Jesus'  peace  been  betrayed  oft-times  in  the 
house  of  the  Master.  Sectarian  disarmament  must 
take  place  among  the  denominations  before  the  Church 
can  ever  have  an  influential  voice  and  great  prestige 
in  the  Peace  Councils  of  the  world. 


180  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


JESUS  BESTOWS  HIS  PEACE  DIFFERENTLY  FROM  THE 
WORLD 

The  world  is  partial,  prejudiced  and  class-conscious 
in  its  gift  of  peace.  It  exalts  some  by  pulling  down 
others.  It  enriches  a  few  by  impoverishing  many. 
Jesus  gives  His  peace  to  all  who  will  accept  Him.  He 
draws  no  circles,  builds  no  walls,  makes  no  limitations 
as  to  caste,  color,  or  character.  His  gracious  invita- 
tion to  peace,  power  and  plenty  is  inclusive  and  all- 
encompassing.  "Come  unto  Me  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my 
yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  Me,  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  of  heart  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls, 
for  my  yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is  light." 

Jesus'  gift  of  peace  is  Himself.  He  had  nothing  to 
give  the  world  save  Himself,  and  greater  gift  than 
self  no  one  can  give.  The  world  balks  at  giving  self, 
it  bestows  favors,  offices,  emoluments.  Jesus  gave 
Himself  in  His  death  on  the  cross.  Dying  there  amid 
darkness  and  degradation  He  made  peace,  individual 
peace,  possible  for  the  least  and  lowliest  of  earth. 
There  are  many  theories  of  the  atonement,  and  follow- 
ers of  Christ  will  never  be  agreed  upon  any  one  of 
these  theories,  but  the  glorious  fact  of  the  atonement 
is  not  disputable  or  under  debate  or  question.  Says 
St.  Paul — "He  is  our  peace."  By  His  death  there  on 
that  central  cross  Jesus  led  the  way  for  enduring  peace, 
not  only  between  God  and  man,  but  between  man  and 
man.  The  peace  councils  of  the  world  have  not  yet 
learned  the  way  of  the  cross.    Their  way  is  still  the 


THE  PEACE  CHRIST  GIVES  181 


way  of  the  sword  and  that  is  the  way  of  death  and 
darkness  and  suffering. 

Jesus'  gift  of  Himself  is  also  in  life,  the  life  of  His 
free  and  victorious  Spirit  through  which  He  abides  in 
every  heart  which  accords  Him  room.  Most  gifts 
lose  sooner  or  later  their  power  to  thrill,  to  interest, 
to  please,  but  not  so  this  gift  of  Christ  given  freely  to 
everyone  who  will  receive  Him.  Whoso  possesses  the 
world's  peace  will  thirst  again,  but  whoso  possesses  the 
peace  of  Christ  will  never  know  the  necessity  for  any- 
thing better  or  more  satisfying.  His  is  the  peace  that 
passes  all  understanding  because  of  its  exquisitely  fine 
quality,  its  lastingness  and  satisfying  nature. 

How  impoverished  the  centuries  would  be  if  there 
were  taken  from  them  the  lives  of  many  humble  and 
lowly  who  were  filled  with  the  peace  of  Jesus  Christ. 
As  for  the  mighty  men  who  led  in  world-movements 
and  helped  to  change  the  course  of  history  for  the 
better,  Christ's  peace  ruled  their  lives.  St.  Paul  knew 
that  peace  and  it  enabled  him  to  establish  the  Christian 
faith  in  hostile  communities,  testify  before  kings  and 
queens,  and  face  lion-heartedly  brutal  mobs  bent  on 
putting  him  to  death.  Martin  Luther  knew  this  peace 
of  Christ  and  amidst  the  wildest  storms  of  controversy 
he  stood  undaunted  and  persevering  in  his  mighty 
tasks.  Abraham  Lincoln  possessed  this  peace  and  it 
taught  him  patience  and  kept  him  calm  and  sweet  when 
rancor  and  contumely  swirled  around  him  as  furious 
floods  swirl  around  a  massive  pier. 

Oh,  ye  hosts  who  know  only  the  world's  peace !  Go 
get  ye  to  the  upper  room  and  there  learn  the  peace  that 
is  pure,  just  and  holy — the  peace  that  Christ  gives  to 


182  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


all;  the  peace  for  which  a  war-scourged  world  waits. 
For  without  His  peace  all  plans  and  programs  of  dis- 
armament will  be  but  as  some  fair  dream  which  van- 
ishes with  the  morning  and  cannot  be  recalled. 


XIV 


OTHER  SHEEP 

An  Attempt  to  Appraise  the  Scattered  Flock  of  God 
at  Their  Value  in  the  Good  Shepherd's  Sight 


John  10:16. 

Other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this 
fold:  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall 
hear  my  voice;  and  they  shall  become  one 
flock,  one  shepherd. 


XIV 


OTHER  SHEEP 

If  one  were  to  take  a  pen  and  designate  with  a  tiny 
star  every  reference  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  sheep 
and  shepherds,  the  result  would  be  an  "inky  way" 
from  Genesis  to  Revelation ;  with  the  stars  most  multi- 
tudinous in  portions  of  the  Psalms,  parts  of  the 
Prophecies,  and  throughout  the  Gospels.  The  land  of 
the  Bible  is  the  shepherd's  own  country  where  he  lives 
with  his  flock,  knows  them  by  name,  protects  them, 
sustains  them,  and  defends  them  from  their  natural 
enemies.  One  of  the  favorite  names  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  Rachel,  which  means  "ewe,"  and  the  phrase 
"Shepherd  of  Israel"  as  applied  to  Jehovah  is  exquisite 
poetry.  The  Shepherd's  Psalm  is  a  most  appropriate 
name  for  the  twenty-third  Psalm  and  the  pastoral  scene 
it  pictures  is  enchanting:  the  green  pastures,  the  still 
waters,  the  valley  of  the  shadow,  the  rod  and  the  staff, 
the  overflowing  cup,  the  safety  and  comfort  of  the 
fold,  who  can  forget  the  strength  and  beauty  of  such 
imagery  ? 

Jesus  was  fond  of  this  Shepherd  figure  and  some  of 
his  notable  parables  are  interwoven  with  pastoral 
imagery.  It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  not  without  its 
pathos,  that  as  the  shadows  of  the  end  fell  upon  His 
disciples,  the  Old  Testament  figure  of  the  sheep  of 
185 


186  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

God's  pasture  was  often  in  His  mind  and  on  His  lips. 
Thus,  He  comforted  His  disciples  with  the  words, 
"Fear  not  little  flock,"  and  in  the  time  of  imminent  peril 
in  the  last  winter  of  His  life  He  spoke  the  words  which 
John  has  recorded  for  us  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  his 
Gospel.  Throughout  the  eighteen  verses  Jesus  varies 
the  figure  and  enforces  it  in  several  ways.  He  speaks 
of  Himself  as  the  Good  Shepherd  and  His  followers 
as  His  sheep.  He  requires  of  them  obedience  and 
trust ;  He  promises  that  no  one  shall  snatch  them  from 
out  His  hands.  He  makes  it  His  concern  to  know  them 
and  to  know  the  Father.  From  the  thought  of  the 
sheep  He  passes  to  that  of  the  sheepfold,  of  which  He 
said  He  Himself  is  the  door,  and  from  the  fold  He  pro- 
ceeds to  describe  the  flock  with  the  one  shepherd. 
"Other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold;  them 
also  I  must  bring,  they  shall  hear  my  voice;  and  they 
shall  become  one  flock,  one  shepherd." 

"OTHER  SHEEP  I  HAVE  WHICH  ARE  NOT  OF  THIS  FOLD*' 

This  utterance  of  Jesus  must  have  startled  His  hear- 
ers. "This  fold"  is  of  course  the  Jewish  faith,  and  to 
the  zealous  Jew  all  others  were  outside  the  fold.  It  is 
difficult  for  us  to  understand  the  intense  and  bitter 
prejudice  of  the  Jews  of  Jesus'  day  toward  all  others 
of  alien  faith  and  race.  In  their  eyes  all  who  were  not 
children  of  Abraham  were  "Gentiles,"  "Heathen," 
"dogs,"  and  "wolves."  They  believed  themselves  to 
be  the  especial  objects  of  God's  favor  and  the  only  ones 
who  were  to  be  the  beneficiaries  of  His  love  and  for- 
giveness. So  extreme  and  fanatical  were  some  of  the 
Pharisaical  groups  that  such  a  sentiment  as  this  has 


OTHER  SHEEP 


187 


come  down  to  us :  "The  spittle  of  a  Jew  is  more 
precious  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah  than  the  life  blood  of 
a  heathen."  Prejudice  shut  out  from  Israel  all  foreign 
culture;  no  one  could  hope  for  eternal  life  who  read  the 
books  of  other  nations. 

We  stand  aghast  at  such  bigotry  and  yet  withal  there 
is  not  a  religious  body  anywhere  without  some  adher- 
ents who  believe  themselves  to  be  the  elect  of  God,  and 
all  others  outside  the  true  fold.  It  were  well  if  we 
possessed  a  sense  of  humor  and  could  see  how  very 
ludicrous  some  of  our  prejudices  are.  John  B.  Gough 
used  to  delight  to  tell  a  story  of  a  minister  who  was 
preaching  in  Boston  when  he  saw  the  Governor  of  the 
state  coming  up  the  aisle.  Immediately  he  began  to 
stammer  and  finally  said :  "I  see  the  Governor  coming 
in  and  I  know  you  will  want  to  hear  an  exhortation 
from  him  and  I  think  I  had  better  stop."  Whereupon 
one  of  the  old  officials  leaped  up  from  a  front  seat  and 
said,  "I  insist  upon  your  going  on  with  your  sermon, 
Sir,  you  ought  not  to  be  embarrassed  by  the  Governor's 
coming  in.  We  are  all  worms !  All  worms !  Nothing 
but  worms!"  This  interruption  stirred  the  minister 
deeply  and  he  replied  heatedly,  "Sir,  I  would  have  you 
to  understand  that  there  is  a  difference  in  worms." 
Yes,  the  difference — always  the  difference  between  peo- 
ple, races,  religions — the  difference, — ah,  that's  the 
rub!    Why  stress  the  difference? 

If  we  are  to  be  Christian  we  shall  have  to  get  away 
from  the  belief  that  "the  only  good  Indian  is  a  dead 
Indian";  that  the  only  real  white  man  is  the  Anglo- 
Saxon;  that  "the  negro  is  a  beast";  that  the  Japanese 
are  all  dishonest;  that  the  Chinese  are  "a  yellow  peril" ; 


188  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

that  the  Jew  is  conspiring  to  dominate  the  world  and 
lord  it  over  all.  If  the  Jew's  prejudice  toward  the 
Christian  has  been  bitter  and  long-standing,  then  so 
has  the  prejudice  of  the  Gentile  toward  the  Jew  been 
terrible  in  intensity  and  almost  unaccountable  in  per- 
sistence. Only  recently  the  Jew  has  been  the  object  of 
a  new  outburst  of  fury ;  the  controversy  waxes  hot  and 
the  ancient  feud  continues.  Racial  pride  and  arrogance 
is  widespread  and  deep-rooted.  We  Americans  of  all 
people  should  be  able  to  take  a  broad  and  charitable 
attitude  toward  peoples  of  alien  birth,  but  alas,  preju- 
dice toward  the  "foreigner"  in  America  is  not  the  ex- 
ception but  the  general  rule.  The  eccentricities  of 
genius  of  whatever  race  dispose  us  to  be  tolerant,  even 
indulgent,  but  the  same  traits  in  a  peddler,  an  organ 
grinder,  or  proprietor  of  a  fruit  stand,  move  us  to  fresh 
diatribes  against  the  Italian,  the  Greek,  the  Pole.  We 
need  to  take  to  heart  the  admonition  of  Professor 
Steiner:  "Don't  let  one  smell  of  garlic  put  a  whole 
army  of  Christians  to  flight." 

"Other  sheep  .  .  .  not  of  this  fold."  That  is  to 
say,  Jesus  has  sheep  not  in  the  recognized  fold.  In- 
terpreting this  statement  in  the  light  of  His  ministry, 
it  can  only  mean  that  all  who  seek  after  God  and  walk 
in  such  light  as  they  have  are  His  sheep,  and  eventually 
He  will  bring  them  all  to  Himself.  When  it  became 
known  to  Peter  that  the  Gentiles  were  included  in  the 
gracious  invitation  of  Christ,  he  said,  "Of  the  truth  I 
perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  in 
every  nation  he  that  feareth  Him  and  worketh  right- 
eousness is  acceptable  to  Him."  Moreover,  Paul,  in 
Romans  3  -.14,  affirms  that  those,  not  having  the  law 


OTHER  SHEEP 


189 


are  a  law  unto  themselves.  "Other  sheep!" — How 
these  words  so  true,  so  mellow  of  spirit,  ought  to 
enlarge  the  horizon  of  our  souls.  The  field  is  the 
world.  All  the  tribes,  tongues  and  peoples  come  within 
the  scope  of  God's  great  love.  He  taught  us  not  to 
think  meanly  of  any  man  or  woman,  whether  black  or 
white  or  yellow,  and  of  whatever  social  stratum.  He 
taught  us  to  look  out  upon  the  masses  of  humanity  as 
objects  of  God's  love  and  of  the  ministrations  of  all 
those  who  have  accepted  the  Christ. 

There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 

Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea; 
There's  a  kindness  in  his  justice, 

Which  is  more  than  liberty. 

For  the  love  of  God  is  broader 
Than  the  measure  of  man's  mind; 

And  the  heart  of  the  Eternal 
Is  most  wonderfully  kind. 

"THEM  ALSO  I  MUST  BRING,  AND  THEY  SHALL  HEAR 
MY  VOICE" 

It  is  the  will  of  our  Lord  that  His  other  sheep  which 
are  not  of  the  fold  be  brought  to  Him,  that  they  may 
hear  His  voice  and  own  His  shepherdship.  The 
method  of  the  bringing  of  Christ's  other  sheep  is  of 
the  utmost  importance.  When  Jesus  spoke  these 
words,  the  thought  of  the  approaching  cross  must  have 
been  in  His  mind.  Aye,  that  Cross  would  be  the  means 
of  bringing  hosts  upon  hosts  to  know  the  Good  Shep- 
herd and  to  follow  whithersoever  He  should  lead.  In 
the  twelfth  chapter  of  John's  Gospel  it  is  recorded 
that  certain  Greeks  sought  out  Philip  and  asked  him, 


190  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

saying,  "Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus."  When  this  request 
was  made  known  to  the  Master  He  was  profoundly- 
moved  ;  perhaps  He  saw  in  that  request  the  first  fruits 
of  the  coming  of  all  nationalities  to  own  Him  Lord  of 
Lords  and  King  of  Kings.  Then  it  was  that  He 
uttered  that  notable  prediction:  "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  myself." 

The  "other  sheep"  are  to  be  brought  unto  the  shep- 
herd by  human  instrumentalities.  This  is  the  Divine 
plan.  Obedience  to  this  command  converts  the  church 
into  a  missionary  enterprise.  Jesus  first  sent  out  the 
twelve  disciples;  then  the  seventy;  and  just  before  His 
Ascension  He  gave  the  church  its  great  commission, 
saying,  "Go,  teach  all  nations."  The  very  charter  of 
the  church  is  its  commission  to  make  other  disciples. 
The  book  of  Acts  is  full  of  power  and  glory  and  ex- 
traordinary triumphs  because  it  is  a  record  of  the  early 
church  at  work  carrying  out  the  commission.  If 
Christendom  had  kept  this  great  goal  in  view  and 
regarded  the  church  as  a  means,  not  as  an  end, — in 
place  of  the  denominational  rivalries,  senseless  con- 
troversies, and  costly  competitions, — this  great  mission- 
ary spirit  would  have  swept  over  the  peoples  of  other 
nations  with  power  and  wonder  and  saving  grace,  and 
the  great  World  War  would  have  been  an  impossibility. 

"Other  sheep."  Does  this  obligation  rest  lightly  or 
heavily  upon  the  churches  ?  Truth  compels  the  answer 
that  a  host  are  not  conscious  of  such  an  obligation. 
For  it  is  to  the  churches  that  we  must  look,  both  for 
the  material  resources  and  the  dedicated  life,  and  in 
both  instances  the  supply  is  meager.  The  great  body 
of  Christians  give  about  thirty-two  cents  a  year  per 


OTHER  SHEEP 


191 


capita  for  the  bringing  of  these  other  sheep  to  know 
the  Good  Shepherd.  Young  men  for  the  ministry  are 
difficult  to  find,  the  most  capable  young  manhood  of 
our  churches  is  answering  the  call  of  the  commercial 
world  and  not  of  the  mission  field  or  definite  Christian 
leadership.  There  are  great  churches  in  America  with 
memberships  running  into  the  thousands,  worshiping 
in  magnificent  temples,  who  have  not  given  to  the  min- 
istry or  the  mission  field  a  young  man  or  woman  for 
many  a  year.  Somehow  this  obligation  of  other  sheep 
does  not  rest  upon  us  as  it  rested  upon  Jesus.  He 
wept  over  Jerusalem ;  not  many  Christians  are  weeping 
over  New  York,  Chicago  or  Detroit.  He  looked  out 
over  the  multitude  and  was  moved  with  compassion. 
We,  His  twentieth  century  disciples,  are  prone  to  look 
on  the  multitude  with  derision,  sometimes  with  con- 
tempt, often  with  a  kind  of  a  blase  indifference.  Jesus 
detected  the  faintest  flicker  of  faith  in  some  poor  out- 
cast and  observed  it  with  joy;  we  are  often  scornful 
of  those  of  feeble  faith,  and  inclined  to  doubt  their 
sincerity  and  deem  them  doomed  to  failure. 

Jesus'  other  sheep  are  everywhere,  and  among  all 
peoples  and  all  ranks  of  society.  These  He  must  bring 
and  He  must  bring  them  through  His  disciples;  unless 
they  are  brought  that  way  they  may  not  come  at  all. 
Given  a  follower  of  Christ  who  has  caught  the  great 
vision  and  bears  the  love  of  God  in  his  heart  for  all 
peoples,  who  cannot  rest  until  he  has  done  all  he  can 
to  make  these  people  know  the  new  life  in  Jesus  Christ, 
and  such  a  person  plus  the  Divine  Spirit  becomes  im- 
measurably a  power  for  God  and  man. 


192  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


"and  they  shall  become  one  flock,  one 
shepherd" 

It  is  worth  remarking  that  the  Revised  Version 
translates  not  "one  fold"  but  "one  flock."  Why  the 
change?  Professor  Alfred  Plummer,  the  distinguished 
English  scholar,  says  of  this  change:  "Few  corrections 
made  in  the  Revised  Version  are  more  important  than 
this.  The  mistake  originated  in  Jerome's  translation, 
where  we  have  the  same  Latin  word  to  represent  two 
different  Greek  words.  Wyclif  followed  him;  and, 
although  Tyndale  and  Coverdale  corrected  the  error, 
the  Authorized  Version  unfortunately  followed  Wyclif. 
Christ  says  nothing  about  there  being  one  fold,  which 
would  imply  uniformity:  what  He  promises,  and  en- 
courages us  to  work  for  and  to  pray  for,  is  "one  flock," 
in  which  there  may  be  large  measures  of  diversity  along 
with  the  essential  unity  belonging  to  one  and  the  same 
Shepherd. 

"It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  mischief  that  has 
been  done  by  this  unhappy  substitution  of  'fold'  for 
'flock'  in  this  important  text.  Throughout  the 
Middle  Ages,  few  people  in  Western  Europe  knew 
Greek,  and  Jerome's  Vulgate  led  them  to  believe 
that  Christ  had  used  the  word  'fold'  in  both  places, 
and  that  He  had  inculcated  a  doctrine,  which  the 
change  of  word  was  perhaps  intended  to  exclude. 
The  doctrine,  that  the  sheep  not  in  the  fold  must  be 
brought  in  until  there  is  one  fold,  with  all  the  sheep 
penned  within  it,  gave  immense  support  to  the 
claims  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  be  the  one 


OTHER  SHEEP 


193 


church,  outside  which  there  is  no  salvation.  What 
Christ  says  is  that  those  outside  the  then  existing 
fold,  equally  with  those  who  were  in  the  fold,  shall 
become  one  flock,  of  which  He  is  the  Shepherd. 
Christ  had  come  to  break  down  'the  wall  of  par- 
tition' between  the  Jewish  Church  and  the  Gentiles. 
In  the  gospel,  the  distinction  between  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile was  to  cease,  and  the  salvation  which  had  been 
offered  first  to  the  Jew,  became  the  common  in- 
heritance of  all." 

For  hundreds  of  years  divisions  among  Christians 
has  been  a  thing  of  scandal.  In  England  there  are 
about  two  hundred  and  eighty  kinds  of  Christians;  in 
America  around  one  hundred  and  fifty.  There  are 
seventeen  branches  of  the  Methodist  family,  twenty- 
two  of  the  Lutherans,  eight  of  the  Catholic,  thirteen 
of  the  Baptist,  twelve  of  the  Presbyterian  and  six  of 
the  Adventist  The  effect  of  such  divisions  upon  the 
mind  of  the  people  is  at  its  best  confusing,  and  at  its 
worst  demoralizing.  The  first  great  stride  toward  the 
reunion  of  Christendom  is  a  united  Protestantism. 
The  Evangelical  churches  have  much  in  common. 
Their  agreements  are  vastly  more  than  their  differ- 
ences. Protestantism  is  virtually  one  in  its  conception 
of  God  and  of  its  revelation  in  Jesus  Christ;  in  the 
power  and  reign  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  lives  of  the 
leaders;  in  the  nature  and  mission  of  the  church;  in 
the  place  and  potency  of  the  Holy  Scripture;  in  the 
necessity  of  the  new  birth  and  the  power  of  an  endless 
life.  The  things  that  divide  Protestantism  are  the 
lesser  and  unimportant  matters.    For  the  greater  part 


194  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


they  are  accretions  of  human  devise,  nonessential  and 
divisive.  Too  long  have  the  differences  among  Protes- 
tants been  magnified  .and  the  agreements  minimized. 
The  hour  is  fully  here  to  reverse  this  order,  to  minimize 
the  differences  .and  magnify  the  agreements. 

Protestantism  has  something  to  learn  from  Catholic- 
ism. Among  Catholics  there  is  little  duplication  of 
churches,  no  overlapping  of  work,  no  competition  be- 
tween the  churches.  In  Protestantism  there  is  a  serious 
duplication,  frequent  competition  and  much  over- 
lapping,— the  result  is  a  waste  of  energy,  a  duplication 
of  activity,  and  misuse  of  vast  sums  of  money. 

It  was  my  pleasure  once  to  preach  in  a  union  meet- 
ing in  a  community  where  the  churches  are  strong  and 
vigorous.  Four  congregations  united  and  for  two 
weeks  we  were  one  flock,  and  one  shepherd.  Protes- 
tantism was  united  in  that  community.  Methodists, 
United  Brethren,  Presbyterians,  and  Disciples  entered 
into  blessed  oneness  of  worship  and  interest.  On  the 
last  Sunday  afternoon  of  the  meetings  all  united  in 
an  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  was  impres- 
sive, inspiring,  and  unific.  The  comment  of  a  gentle- 
man of  a  religious  body  other  than  my  own  is  inter- 
esting. Said  he,  "I've  been  thinking  that  if  it  is 
possible  for  our  four  churches  to  be  united  for  two 
weeks  like  this,  it  is  possible — if  not  now,  some  day — 
to  be  united  in  this  close  way  all  the  time."  And  this 
is  what  many  are  thinking  these  days.  But  we  will  not 
be  able  to  make  this  great  stride  toward  a  united 
Protestantism  until  we  manifest  the  spirit  and  view  of 
Jesus  in  this  passage,  "Other  sheep  I  have  which  are 
not  of  this  fold."    Conscientious  seekers  after  God  in 


OTHER  SHEEP  195 

this  and  other  lands,  whatever  may  be  their  degree  of 
enlightenment  or  denominational  barriers,  are  included 
in  this  Godlike  affirmation. 

Soon  shall  the  slumbering  Morn  awake 
From  wandering  Stars  of  Error  freed, 

When  Christ  the  Bread  of  heaven  shall  break 
For  saints  that  own  a  common  creed. 

The  walls  that  fence  his  flock  apart 

Shall  crack  and  crumble  in  decay, 
And  every  tongue  and  every  heart 

Shall  welcome  in  the  new  born  day. 

Then  shall  his  glorious  church  rejoice 

His  word  of  promise  to  recall — 
One  sheltering  fold,  one  Shepherd's  voice, 

One  God  and  Father  over  all! 

Let  us  hope  and  pray  that  the  poet's  dream  may  be 
realized,  that  the  Master's  prayer  be  answered — and 
more;  let  us  devote  ourselves  to  this  unfinished  pro- 
gram of  Jesus  with  a  zeal  that  shall  amount  to  a  holy 
passion. 


XV 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP 

Never-To-Be-Forgotten  Day  in  the  Lives  of  Four 
Fishermen 


Luke  5:1-11. 

Now  it  came  to  pass,  while  the  multitude 
pressed  upon  Him  and  heard  the  word  of  God, 
that  He  was  standing  by  the  lake  of  Gen- 
nesaret;  and  He  saw  two  boats  standing  by 
the  lake :  but  the  fishermen  had  gone  out  of 
them,  and  were  washing  their  nets.  And  He 
entered  into  one  of  the  boats,  which  was  Si- 
mon's, and  asked  him  to  put  out  a  little  from 
the  land.  And  He  sat  down  and  taught  the 
multitudes  out  of  the  boat.  And  when  He  had 
left  speaking,  He  said  unto  Simon,  Put  out 
into  the  deep,  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a 
draught.  And  Simon  answered  and  said: 
Master,  we  toiled  all  night,  and  took  nothing: 
but  at  Thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  nets. 
And  when  they  had  done  this,  they  inclosed 
a  great  multitude  of  fishes;  and  their  nets 
were  breaking,  and  they  beckoned  unto  their 
partners  in  the  other  boat,  that  they  should 
come  and  help  them.  And  they  came,  and 
filled  both  the  boats,  so  that  they  began  to 
sink.  But  Simon  Peter,  when  he  saw  it,  fell 
down  at  Jesus'  knees,  saying,  Depart  from 
me;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord.  For 
he  was  amazed,  and  all  that  were  with  him,  at 
the  draught  of  the  fishes  which  they  had 
taken;  and  so  were  also  James  and  John,  sons 
of  Zebedee,  who  were  partners  with  Simon. 
And  Jesus  said  unto  Simon,  Fear  not;  from 
henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men.  And  when 
they  had  brought  their  boats  to  land,  they 
left  all,  and  followed  Him. 


XV 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP 

It  was  a  never-to-be-forgotten  day  in  the  lives  of 
four  fishermen.  The  scene  is  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  in  the  early  morning.  Two  boats  are  drawn 
up  on  the  beach,  and  nearby  the  fisher- folk  are  busy 
washing  their  nets.  All  night  they  have  toiled,  and 
not  a  single  fish  did  they  catch.  Now  it  is  morning, 
and  all  that  the  men  have  to  show  for  their  night's 
work  are  the  empty  and  bedraggled  nets,  their  weary 
bodies  and  heavy  eyelids. 

Does  such  a  scene  have  any  particular  meaning  for 
us?  Have  we  anything  in  common  with  those  fisher- 
men on  the  shores  of  Galilee  that  morning  nineteen 
centuries  ago?  I  venture  to  say,  much  in  every  way. 
The  incident  is  eloquent  with  the  token  that  failure 
may  result,  despite  our  best  efforts;  that  patience, 
industry  and  skill  do  not  and  cannot  invariably  bring 
success.  Those  Galilean  fishermen  were  not  amateurs; 
they  knew  that  the  night  was  the  best  time  for  fishing; 
they  were  familiar  with  the  parts  of  the  lake  where  fish 
were  most  likely  to  be;  they  knew  how  to  cast  their 
nets  skillfully  and  draw  in  their  catch  warily.  Yet 
withal,  their  night's  toil  had  been  in  vain. 

Thus  it  is  with  men  and  women  everywhere,  and 
quite  apart  from  degree  of  culture,  rank  or  possession. 
199 


200  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


We  are  of  the  same  clay  as  those  Galilean  fishermen. 
We  too  must  know  what  it  is  to  invest  our  all  and 
apparently  fail.  Toil,  patience,  skill,  we  freely  give, 
and  apparently  without  results.  It  is  the  lot  of  the 
teacher,  the  parent,  the  merchant,  the  tradesman,  the 
farmer,  to  met  the  baffling  fact  that  futility  sometimes 
rewards  their  best  laid  plans.  It  is  indeed  this  very 
experience  that  tests  the  metal  of  manhood  and  runs 
a  dividing  line  between  the  faint-hearted  and  the 
dauntless. 

JESUS  CONVERTS  SIMON'S  BOAT  INTO  A  PULPIT 

Thus  it  happened  that  while  the  fishermen  were 
washing  their  nets,  Jesus,  accompanied  by  a  throng, 
came  that  way.  Much  of  His  ministry  was  along  the 
shores  of  Galilee,  and  a  goodly  part  of  it  took  place 
on  that  famed  little  lake.  As  usual  the  people  clamored 
to  hear  Him,  the  throng  pressed  Him  sorely.  To 
escape  the  crush,  He  stepped  into  Simon  Peter's  boat, 
and  having  asked  that  the  owner  push  out  a  little  way 
from  the  land,  sat  down  in  the  boat,  and  from  that 
pulpit  taught  the  people.  When  one  gets  thus  far  into 
the  narrative  he  comes  face  to  face  with  the  great  law 
of  Christian  service  namely — The  stewardship  of  life. 
Whatever  we  yield  to  God,  He  will  use,  whether  it  be 
small  or  great.  Whatever  we  withhold  from  Him, 
however  vast  in  potentialities,  God  cannot  use.  Our 
usefulness  depends  then,  not  upon  what  we  possess, 
but  what  we  surrender  to  the  Christ  of  our  souls. 

There  is  no  dearth  of  talented  people  in  the  world; 
brilliant  folks  are  plentiful;  but  there  is  a  woeful  lack 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP  201 


of  men  and  women  who  have  laid  their  all,  much  or 
little,  upon  the  high  altar  of  service.  Was  it  not  Mr. 
Moody,  who  when  criticized  by  a  cultured  gentleman 
for  his  ungrammatical  English,  pointedly  retorted: 
"Very  well,  what  definite  Christian  use  are  you  mak- 
ing of  your  faultless  diction?"  Precisely  that  is  the 
test  for  us,  everyone.  Not  what  we  have,  but  what 
use  we  make  of  our  attainments ; — that  is  the  question. 
A  house,  an  automobile,  a  good  singing  voice,  a  talent 
for  public  speaking,  an  interesting  and  entertaining 
way  with  children,  an  engaging  and  influential  person- 
ality— all  of  these  dedicated  to  Christian  ideals  and  the 
progress  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  will  yield  abundant 
fruits,  some  thirty,  some  sixty,  and  some  an  hundred- 
fold. Jesus  used  Peter's  boat,  and  His  Spirit  today 
will  employ  with  uncommon  fruitfulness,  every  pos- 
session, every  talent  yielded  unto  Him.  Blessed  is  he 
who,  perceiving  the  Divine  presence,  exclaims :  "Take ! 
FiU!  Use!" 

There  are  strange  ways  of  serving  God; 

You  sweep  a  room  or  turn  a  sod, 

And  suddenly,  to  your  surprise, 

You  hear  the  whirr  of  seraphim 

And  find  you're  under  God's  own  eyes 

And  building  palaces  for  Him. 

DEEP  CALEETH  UNTO  DEEP 

The  teaching  at  an  end,  Jesus  turns  to  Simon  Peter. 
"Put  out  into  the  deep  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a 
draught,"  he  commands.  How  splendid  the  spirit; 
how  stimulating  the  force  of  the  words, — "Put  out 
into  the  deep."  There  is  a  tang  in  the  thought  Let 
us  be  honest;  we  are  prone  to  hug  the  shore.  We 


202  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


prefer  the  "safety-first"  method.  We  like  much  to 
dilly-dally  amidst  the  shallows  and  the  shoals.  Espe- 
cially are  we  so  minded  after  one  experience  on  the 
deep  where  naught  but  failure  was  our  lot.  Ah,  we 
know,  we  know !  We  undertook  with  fear  and 
trembling  an  enterprise  that  called  for  courage  and 
persistence.  We  failed,  and  with  that  failure  our  ardor 
was  completely  cooled.  We  agreed,  for  instance,  to 
take  a  class  of  young  men  and  instruct  them  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  It  was  a  big  undertaking,  but  we 
plunged  in  and  struggled  bravely.  We  gave  what  we 
believed  to  be  our  best  and  we  failed.  We  could  not 
interest  the  young  men.  We  seemed  unable  to  grapple 
with  the  big  problem.  We  felt  powerless  in  our  defeat. 
We  came  away  from  that  failure  with  our  minds  fully 
made  up.  We  said  to  ourselves — and  at  the  time  we 
meant  it — "Never  again  will  we  undertake  anything 
of  that  kind."  We  preferred  the  shallows  rather  than 
the  deep.  We  chose  the  shore  with  which  we  were 
fairly  familiar,  rather  than  the  great  deep  which  we 
did  not  know;  and  then  right  on  the  heels  of  such  a 
resolution  came  the  challenge  to  continue  with  that 
group  of  young  men  and  to  give  ourselves  with  re- 
newed vigor  to  the  mastery  of  the  undertaking.  "Put 
out  into  the  deep  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a 
draught."  Risky?  Certainly.  Dangerous?  Possibly 
so;  but  likewise  rich  in  possibilities.  There  is  nothing 
to  be  caught  along  the  shore,  but  far  out  in  the  deep 
the  prizes  of  life  are  awaiting  the  coming  of  the  ven- 
turesome and  the  brave. 

God  is  constantly  calling  us  to  put  out  into  the  deep, 
and  this  call  to  our  souls  is  as  deep  calling  unto  deep. 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP  203 


Here  are  the  Holy  Scriptures.  When  it  comes  to 
constant  and  diligent  study  of  their  great  contents,  for 
the  greater  part  we  have  not  put  out  into  the  deep. 
Our  knowledge  of  the  Bible  is  small  and  largely  sur- 
face. It  is  the  Book  everybody  praises  and  few  read. 
We  can  quote  John  14 :  1-6,  Romans  8 :  28,  the  twenty- 
third  Psalm,  and  the  Beatitudes ;  but  there  are  mountain 
peaks  we  have  not  ascended,  and  great  unexplored 
areas  of  Scriptural  truth.  We  need  to  put  out  into 
the  deep  of  these  old  and  time-tested  writings.  God 
challenges  us  to  search  the  Scriptures  diligently;  to 
read  whole  books  at  a  single  sitting ;  to  compare  Scrip- 
ture with  Scripture;  to  commit  many  a  passage  to 
memory.  Most  of  us  believe  in  prayer,  but  only  a  few 
are  acquainted  with  the  real  heart  of  communion  with 
the  Heavenly  Father.  We  have  been  accustomed  to 
"say  prayers"  and  to  pray  occasionally  when  the  need 
seemed  to  be  especially  urgent ;  but  only  here  and  there 
are  those  who  are  able  to  say  with  Jacob  in  the  in- 
tensity of  his  struggle  with  the  mysterious  wrestler, 
"I  will  not  let  Thee  go  unless  Thou  bless  me."  Oh! 
we  are  all  under  the  domination  of  the  shore  and  the 
shallows,  where  it  is  smooth  sailing  and  commonplace. 
Put  out,  O!  slow  of  heart,  and  sluggish  of  spirit;  put 
out,  where  the  waters  are  of  unplumbed  depth,  "too 
full  for  sound  or  foam!" 

CHRIST  THE  COMMANDER 

Simon  Peter's  answer  is  wistful,  and  it  is  also  the 
soul  of  loyalty.  "Master,"  he  replied,  "we  toiled  all 
night  and  took  nothing;  but  at  Thy  word  I  will  let 
down  the  net."    Now,  there  is  vastly  more  in  these 


204  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


words  than  a  careless  reader  will  see.  Simon  Peter 
was  a  fisherman  and  a  sailor;  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was 
a  carpenter  and  a  landsman.  If  there  is  one  thing 
above  all  others  that  a  sailor  holds  in  contempt,  it  is 
the  ignorance  of  the  average  landsman  of  the  sea  and 
the  things  that  pertain  to  sea- faring  life.  What  does 
a  landsman  know  about  a  "spar,"  the  "capstan,"  the 
"halyards,"  or  the  various  "masts"  and  "riggings"? 
What  is  the  difference  between  a  "barque"  and  a 
"schooner,"  a  "brig"  and  a  "brigantine"  ?  Which  side 
is  "starboard"  and  which  "port"?  How  little  a 
landsman  knows  the  vocabulary  of  the  sailor.  Simon 
Peter  and  his  seasoned  fellow  fishermen  ought  to  know 
better  than  a  carpenter,  the  best  time  and  places  for 
fishing.  And  yet  this  Galilean  with  whom  the  fisher- 
man had  only  a  slight  acquaintance  up  to  this  time, 
presumes  to  give  orders,  and  to  take  command  of  that 
fishing  boat.  "Put  out  into  the  deep,  Simon,  and  let 
down  your  nets  for  a  draught."  Such  is  the  order,  and 
a  landsman  gives  it.  What  audacity.  Will  Captain 
Simon  obey  the  order?  It  is  a  trying  ordeal;  it  is  a 
severe  test.  The  fisherman  answers,  and  his  reply  is, 
all  things  considered,  surprising.  For  one  thing  it  is 
full  of  humility;  for  another,  of  obedient  faith.  "Mas- 
ter, we  toiled  all  night  and  took  nothing;  but  at  Thy 
word  we  will  let  down  the  nets."  It  should  be  observed 
that  the  word  "Master"  here  is  not  the  same  word 
usually  translated  "Rabbi"  or  "Teacher."  This  word 
is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and  means  "Commander,"  "Ar- 
ranger," or  "Director."  Thus  it  comes  to  pass  that 
Simon  Peter,  Captain  of  his  fishing  smack,  retires 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP  205 


from  command,  so  to  speak,  and  receives  orders  from 
Jesus,  the  carpenter. 

Thou  hast  not  measured  strength  as  we 
Sea-faring  men  that  toil.    And  yet — 
Once  more,  once  more  at  Thy  strange  word, 
Master,  we  will  let  down  the  net! 

"At  Thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  nets."  Aye!  that 
was  a  noteworthy  answer,  and  it  rebukes  us  of  today, 
who  are  loath  to  acknowledge  fully  the  Pilot  of  our 
lives,  recognizes  His  authority,  and  accept  His  com- 
mand. If  we  but  took  Jesus  at  His  word,  what  differ- 
ent persons  we  would  be ;  power  would  supplant  weak- 
ness, love  subdue  hate,  and  our  days  become  dynamic 
for  good  beyond  computation.  Simon  accepts  orders 
from  his  new  Captain,  and  lo!  the  memorable  issue 
thereof.  Back  again  goes  the  little  boat  to  the  deep 
places,  perhaps  the  very  water  where  the  four  had 
toiled  all  night  without  success,  and  there  Simon  and 
his  partner  let  down  the  nets.  What  is  the  use?  Noth- 
ing will  come  of  it.  Why  waste  the  time  ?  Yes, — but 
wait;  the  nets  are  heavy  as  lead;  pull  away.  What 
have  we  here  ?  Why,  so  great  a  catch  that  the  nets  are 
on  the  point  of  breaking,  and  it  becomes  necessary  to 
call  the  men  in  the  other  boat  to  help  haul  in  the 
multitude  of  fishes.  The  haul  is  so  great  that  the  little 
craft  is  in  peril  of  sinking.  See  the  astonishment  of 
the  fishermen.  Look  at  their  faces.  Observe  the 
amazement  and  the  awe !  Oh !  it  is  a  wonderful  catch, 
and  when  Simon  Peter  sees  the  great  number  of  fishes, 
he  falls  down  at  Jesus'  knees  saying:  "Depart  from  me, 
for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord."  Peter  did  not  want 
Jesus  to  go.   He  did  not  mean  just  what  he  said,  save 


206  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


with  regard  to  his  sins.  It  was  like  him  though  to  say 
what  he  did;  it  was  an  impulsive  speech,  but  Jesus 
understood  it  perfectly.  James  and  John,  partners 
with  Simon, — and  probably  Andrew,  though  he  is  not 
named, — were  likewise  amazed  and  impressed,  and  of 
a  right  they  should  have  been.  Here  in  their  very 
midst  was  One  who  spake  with  authority,  and  whose 
personality  was  radiant,  and  in  whom  were  new  and 
surprising  forces  for  good.  Here  was  One  who  could 
bring  success  from  failure  and  turn  darkness  into 
light.  Surely  it  was  worth  much  even  to  be  with  Jesus. 
Yea,  it  was  worth  giving  up  all  to  follow  such  a 
Leader,  so  able  a  Captain. 

THE  FOUR  CALLED  TO  A  NEW  CAREER 

There  is  that  fishing  boat  piled  with  fishes  such  as 
possibly  no  other  night  of  toil  had  ever  won.  Simon 
Peter  and  his  partners  received  and  accepted  their  new 
life  call.  "Jesus  said  unto  Simon,  "Fear  not;  from 
henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men."  Now  this  predic- 
tion of  Jesus  is  a  flash-light  upon  the  Christian  career. 
Observe  the  phrase  closely.  Men  and  fish  are  con- 
trasted. Here  is  the  great  catch  of  fish,  and  while  the 
fishermen  are  marveling  over  it,  Jesus  tells  them  that 
their  greatest  success  is  to  be  as  catchers  of  men.  But 
the  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  throws  still  further 
light  on  their  future  career.  Literally,  the  sentence  is 
— "Fear  not;  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  take  alive." 
Is  not  the  picture  vivid?  There  are  the  multitudes  of 
fish ;  you  see  them  flopping  about, — a  great  pile  of 
squirming,  wriggling  fish ;  but  even  as  you  look,  already 
life  is  beginning  to  leave  their  bodies  and  they  are  less 


WHEN  DEEP  CALLETH  UNTO  DEEP  207 


active  than  when  you  first  looked.  In  a  little  while 
death  will  have  stilled  them  everyone.  They  were 
caught  to  die.  And  thus  Jesus  tells  the  wondering 
fishermen — ''Henceforth  you  shall  take  alive."  That 
is  to  say,  "you  will  win  men  and  women,  and  save 
them  to  that  life  which  is  life  indeed — the  super- 
abundant life."  And  surely  the  fishermen  perceived 
some  hint  of  the  deep  meaning  in  Jesus'  words,  for 
when  they  had  brought  the  boat  to  land,  they  left  all 
and  followed  Him.  An  accomplished  student  of  the 
Gospels  holds  that  there  were  three  stages  in  the 
discipleship  of  the  met*  that  Jesus  called  to  be  with 
Him.  First,  as  simple  believers  in  Him  as  the  Christ 
and  His  occasional  companion;  second,  the  abandon- 
ment of  secular  occupations  and  a  constant  attendance 
on  His  person;  third,  when  called  especially  to  be 
Apostles.  This  incident  marks  the  second  stage  of  the 
calling  of  the  four  fishermen  to  be  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ.  They  leave  their  nets,  their  boats,  their  all, 
and  follow  Him.  The  love  of  the  lake,  the  habits  of 
years  cannot  hold  them  back.  The  fishermen  are  now 
Apostles  in  the  making. 

We  have  in  these  eleven  verses  of  the  fifth  chapter 
of  Luke  a  picturesque  account  of  Jesus  among  the 
every-day  things  of  life.  There  amidst  the  nets  and 
the  boats  and  the  familiar  occupations,  the  Son  of  God 
gave  a  new  meaning,  and  imparted  a  new  power  to  the 
lives  of  four  fishermen.  Thus  it  is  that  spiritual  power 
is  accessible  whilst  we  are  busy  with  the  every  day 
affairs  of  life, — the  farmer  in  the  field,  the  woman 
in  the  kitchen,  the  blacksmith  in  his  shop,  the  merchant 
behind  the  counter,  the  conductor  on  the  train.  Thus 


208  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


it  is  that  God  visits  us  here  and  now  to  turn  defeat 
into  victory,  to  scatter  darkness  with  light,  and  to  over- 
come evil  with  good.  Deep  calleth  unto  deep  at  this 
very  hour.  God's  spirit  speaks  to  our  spirit,  rebukes 
our  surface  thinking  and  our  surface  living,  and 
through  Christ  He  calls  upon  us  to  "put  out  into  the 
deep."  Have  we  not  tarried  long  enough  on  the  beach 
and  by  the  shore?  Are  we  not  done  with  the  shallow 
waters,  where  to  be  safe  is  to  be  useless?  Is  it  not 
high  time  for  us  to  acknowledge  the  new  Captain  and 
bid  Him  command  our  lives,  even  as  He  commanded 
Peter's  sailing  vessel  that  memorable  day  on  Galilee? 
Yea,  and  more,  bid  Him  pilot  us  "over  life's  tempestu- 
ous sea." 

Jesus  calls  us  o'er  the  tumult 
Of  our  life's  wild,  restless  sea, 
Day  by  day  His  sweet  voice  soundeth, 
Saying,  "Christian  follow  me." 

As  of  old,  Apostles  heard  it 

By  the  Galilean  lake, 

Turned  from  home  and  toil  and  kindred 

Leaving  all  for  His  dear  sake. 

Jesus  calls  us  from  the  worship 
Of  the  vain  world's  golden  store, 
From  each  idol  that  would  keep  us, 
Saying,  "Christian,  love  me  more." 


XVI 

WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT? 

The  Ministry  of  the  Comforter  or  "God  in  Action" 


John  14:16. 

And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall 
give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  be 
with  you  forever. 

John  15:26. 

But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I 
will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father,  even  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the 
Father,  He  shall  bear  witness  of  me. 

John  16:7. 

Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth :  it  is  expe- 
dient for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you; 
but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  Him  unto  you. 


XVI 


WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT? 

Is  there  any  other  Biblical  term  more  misunderstood 
than  the  phrase  "The  Holy  Spirit"?  What  or  who  is 
the  Holy  Spirit?  How  define,  explain  or  describe  the 
Holy  Spirit?  A  great  many  devout  Christians  are 
uncertain  as  to  the  nature  and  ministration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the  man 
in  the  street  is  perplexed  by  the  term.  Moreover,  a 
great  deal  has  been  written  of  a  speculative  character 
pertaining  to  this  subject.  Arbitrary  distinctions  have 
been  made;  mystical  meanings  discovered,  and  the  re- 
sult has  been  the  darkening  rather  than  the  clarifying 
of  the  theme.  I  venture  to  say  that  any  attempt  to 
distinguish  between  "The  Spirit  of  God,"  "The  Spirit 
of  Christ,"  and  "The  Holy  Spirit"  is  unwarranted  and 
confusing  in  the  extreme.  The  three  phrases  are  in 
essence  one ;  they  are  of  God ;  they  may  be  used  inter- 
changeably or  synonymously.  In  this  study  a  threefold 
consideration  of  the  "Comforter"  is  proposed:  first, 
the  meaning  of  the  Comforter;  second,  the  transform- 
ing power  of  the  Comforter;  and  third,  the  conditions 
under  which  the  Comforter  was  sent. 

I 

The  word  translated  "Comforter"  is  the  Greek 
"Paraclete."    But  this  new  and  unusual  word  means 


212  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


little  to  the  average  reader  of  the  New  Testament.  In 
the  margin  of  the  Revised  Version  are  found  two  other 
words  which  aid  us  to  understand  who  the  Comforter 
is  and  what  He  does.  An  examination  of  these  mar- 
ginal renderings  may  be  profitable. 

"Comforter"  may  be  translated  "Advocate."  An 
advocate  is  one  who  speaks  for  another  and  presents 
the  merits  of  his  case  in  the  most  favorable  light  pos- 
sible. The  word  is  pictorial,  it  suggests  a  courtroom 
scene  and  an  able  advocate  impressively  arguing  or 
pleading  for  his  client.  There  may  have  been  some 
famous  advocates,  men  so  eloquent,  so  persuasive,  with 
such  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  law  that  merely 
to  put  one's  case  in  such  good  hands  meant  freedom 
from  anxiety.  Think  what  it  must  have  meant  to  se- 
cure the  talents  of  such  advocates  as  William  F.  Evarts, 
Rufus  Choate  or  Daniel  Webster.  The  Comforter  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  an  "Advocate."  Advocate  for 
whom  ?  For  us  or  for  God  ?  In  a  sense  for  both.  On 
the  one  hand  bearing  witness  of  Him  to  us;  on  the 
other  bearing  witness  of  us  to  Him.  So  Jesus  in  leav- 
ing His  disciples  promised  them  the  presence  of  the 
"Advocate."  And  there  is  in  the  word  a  wealth  of 
suggestion. 

The  second  word  in  the  margin  translating  "Para- 
clete" is  the  familiar  word  "helper."  Thus  Jesus  spoke 
to  His  disciples — "If  I  go  not  away  the  Helper  will 
not  come."  Here  is  a  word  that  everybody  under- 
stands. In  many  of  the  well-known  trades  a  full- 
fledged  journeyman  is  assisted  by  an  apprentice  who 
is  called  a  "helper."  That  helper  serves  his  fellow 
craftsman  in  many  capacities.    The  Holy  Spirit,  the 


WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT?  213 


Spirit  of  God,  Christ's  Spirit,  is  our  helper,  ready  and 
willing  to  help  us  in  matters  great  or  small.  There  are 
some  specific  ways  in  which  the  Spirit  helps  the  fol- 
lower of  the  Christ.  These  ways  are  set  forth  in  the 
Scripture.  He  is,  for  instance,  a  "teacher."  When 
the  Great  Teacher  was  parted  from  His  disciples,  when 
He  left  this  world  in  physical  presence,  He  sent  His 
Spirit  to  teach  us.  We  may  learn  of  Him  many  things ; 
be  instructed  of  Him  in  the  deepest  subjects,  even 
though  we  cannot  sit  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  as  did  Mary 
in  the  home  at  Bethany.  The  Spirit  is  also  a  "Guide." 
And  what  blessed  help  Divine  guidance  is  in  a  world 
where  the  way  is  dark  and  doubtful.  The  Holy  Spirit 
is  our  unfailing  guide.  Still  again;  the  Holy  Spirit 
bears  witness  and  testifies,  that  is  to  say,  He  confirms 
and  substantiates  spiritual  truth.  Certainly  this  word 
"Helper"  is  aptly  applied  to  the  Spirit  of  God  which 
teaches,  guides,  and  bears  witness.  The  Spirit  also 
convicts  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  of  judgment. 
This  is  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  among  those  who  are 
of  the  "world."  And  even  in  this  capacity  the  term 
"helper"  is  most  appropriate. 

Help  of  the  helpless,  O  abide  with  me. 

In  addition  to  the  words  "Advocate"  and  "Helper" 
there  is  a  third  which  translates  "Comforter"  quite 
accurately;  a  term,  too,  which  has  come  to  have 
through  the  World  War  a  very  large  place  in  popular 
favor.  This  term  is  "Ally."  The  Holy  Spirit  that 
Christ  imparts  is  our  ally ;  Divinity-fighting  for  us  and 
with  us.  It  is  the  knowledge  of  this  ally  that  enables 
many  an  apparently  hard-pressed  and  all  but  defeated 


214  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

man  to  say,  "They  that  be  with  me  are  more  than  they 
that  be  against  me."  There  was  a  ballad  much  sung 
during  the  last  months  of  the  great  war  which  describes 
a  blind  French  soldier  sitting  by  the  window  of  his  own 
home,  his  little  son  by  his  side.  They  heard  the  sound 
of  martial  music  and  of  tramping  men.  The  blind 
French  soldier  requested  the  little  boy  to  tell  him  what 
division  of  soldiery  was  passing  by.  The  boy  looked 
out  of  the  window  and  was  mystified  by  the  sight  of 
strange  khaki-clad  men  bearing  a  flag  that  was  new  to 
him.  When  he  reported  what  he  saw  to  his  father,  the 
blind  Frenchman  became  greatly  excited.  Breathlessly 
he  asked  the  boy  if  there  were  white  stars  on  a  blue 
field  in  the  flag;  he  asked  him  if  there  were  broad 
stripes  of  red  and  white.  The  little  fellow  answered 
"yes,"  and  the  blind  soldier  leaped  to  his  feet  exclaim- 
ing— "They  have  come!  The  Americans  have  come! 
France  and  the  cause  of  liberty  is  saved.  Our  great 
ally  is  here!"  So  may  we  think  of  this  Spirit  of  God 
and  Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit,  not  only  as  a  Comforter, 
as  Teacher,  as  Guide,  as  Revealer,  as  Advocate  and 
Helper,  but  as  our  great  Ally — Almighty  God,  Him- 
self.  Our  Great  Ally  is  here ! 

ii 

The  coming  of  the  Comforter  brought  a  transform- 
ing power  into  the  lives  of  the  followers  of  Jesus. 
Symbolically  He  bestowed  the  Spirit  upon  His  disciples 
when  after  His  resurrection  He  appeared  among  them 
in  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem.  Then,  "He  breathed 
upon  His  disciples  and  sayeth  unto  them, — receive  ye 
the  Holy  Spirit."    Actually  and  in  power  the  Spirit 


WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT?  215 


came  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  following  His  resurrec- 
tion, came  according  to  His  promise;  and  with  the 
coming  of  the  Comforter,  the  Advocate,  the  Helper, 
the  Ally,  the  Church  was  born.  Observe  the  amazing 
difference  the  coming  of  the  Spirit  made  in  the  lives 
of  that  little  group  of  disciples.  At  the  time  of  their 
Master's  arrest  they  all  forsook  Him  and  fled.  In  the 
court  of  the  High  Priest,  Simon  Peter  weakened  and 
lost  his  courage  in  the  presence  of  a  saucy  maid  who 
twitted  him  with  being  a  follower  of  the  Nazarene. 
After  His  crucifixion  that  little  group  came  together 
again,  but  they  came  in  fear;  they  met  in  secrecy  and 
behind  locked  doors.  His  followers  were  like  sheep 
without  a  shepherd,  they  were  broken  in  spirit  and 
apparently  all  power  had  gone  from  their  lives.  The 
Comforter  came.  The  Advocate  arrived.  The  great 
Ally  emerged.  The  Helper  was  at  hand.  The  Spirit 
entered  into  the  lives  of  men  who  had  been  cowardly, 
and  made  them  bold  as  lions.  Peter,  who  had  denied 
his  Lord,  became  the  spokesman  on  that  niemorable 
day  of  Pentecost.  His  words  were  full  of  fire.  He 
spoke  with  authority  and  was  unafraid.  In  the  pres- 
ence of  a  great  multitude  he  charged  them  vith  having 
crucified  Jesus  who  had  become  both  Lore  and  Christ. 
A  little  while  later  Peter  and  John,  ha/ing  been  ar- 
rested, were  brought  in  chains  before  the  Jewish  Coun- 
cil and  threatened  by  that  august  body  not  to  teach  or 
preach  any  more  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  How  magnifi- 
cently those  two  disciples  answered  that  threat. 
"Whether  it  is  right  in  the  sight  jf  God  to  hearken 
unto  you  rather  than  unto  God  judge  ye:  for  we 
cannot  but  speak  the  things  whioi  we  saw  and  heard." 


216  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Stephen,  in  the  presence  of  the  High  Priest  and  the 
members  of  the  high  council  on  trial  for  his  very  life, 
spoke  with  the  same  utter  disregard  of  his  own  for- 
tunes, and  with  a  boldness  that  cannot  be  explained 
except  by  the  presence  of  the  Comforter  which  was 
with  him  in  power  and  might.  Then  when  sentence 
of  death  had  been  passed  upon  Stephen  and  they  took 
him  out  of  the  City  and  stoned  him,  he  died  with  a 
prayer  on  his  lips — a  prayer  of  forgiveness  for  those 
who  did  the  stoning  and  with  his  face  aglow  with  the 
glory  of  God. 

The  history  of  the  Apostolic  Church  is  the  Gospel 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Comforter,  the  Advocate,  the 
Helper,  the  Ally.  The  book  of  Acts  thrills  with  this 
infilling  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  the  lives  of  the  follow- 
ers of  Christ.  The  letters  of  Paul  glow  with  the  same 
light.  No  wonder  D.  L.  Moody  said,  "The  Holy  Spirit 
is  God  at  work."  Another  eminent  Christian  and  a 
great  scholar  said,  "The  Holy  Spirit  is  God  in  action." 
Wherever  a  great  Christian  man  or  woman  lives,  it 
will  be  found  that  the  reason  for  their  potent  and 
fruitful  activity  is  because  something  is  added  to  their 
personalities  and  that  something  is  the  Spirit  of  God. 
"I  live,  and  yet  not  I  but  Christ  liveth  in  me,"  cried 
Paul.  Paul  olus  the  Holy  Spirit  accounts  for  his 
career  of  incredible  zeal. 

The  history  »f  the  Foreign  Missionary  enterprise 
affords  another  'llustration  of  the  transforming  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirt.  We  are  tempted  here  at  home  to 
find  substitutes  foi  the  Spirit,  it  is  not  so  with  our 
fellow-workers  in  thv  waste  places  of  the  earth.  They 
are  Spirit-filled  and  ipirit-led;  there  is  a  power  and 


WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT?  21T 

poise  in  their  lives  which,  with  few  exceptions,  make 
them  a  marked  and  set  apart  group  of  workers  for  the 
Lord.  When  Henry  M.  Stanley  found  David  Living- 
stone after  many  months  of  search,  he  found  him  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  wildest  section  of  Africa,  a  broken 
man  physically,  but  spiritually  full  of  fire  and  with 
faith  unshaken.  Stanley  urged  him  to  return  to  the 
comfort  and  ease  of  civilization  and  the  great  popular 
acclaim  that  awaited  him  in  England.  It  was  a  tre- 
mendous temptation,  but  Livingstone  arose  superior 
to  it.  He  would  not  leave  his  post  of  duty.  Stanley 
could  not  understand  it  at  the  time,  but  as  he  reflected 
upon  the  matter  it  became  increasingly  clear.  Living- 
stone plus  the  Holy  Spirit,  plus  Christ,  plus  God — that 
is  the  explanation. 

in 

The  coming  of  the  Comforter  was  conditioned  upon 
Jesus'  going  away.  "It  is  expedient  for  you,"  He  said, 
"That  I  go  away,  for  if  I  go  not  away  the  Comforter 
will  not  come  unto  you."  The  blessing  of  the  absent 
Christ  was  the  coming  of  the  Spirit.  At  the  time,  the 
disciples  could  not  understand  how  by  the  deprivation 
of  Jesus'  physical  presence  there  would  come  still 
greater  blessing  through  His  spiritual  presence.  In 
that  upper  room  the  thought  of  Jesus'  going  away  held 
only  pain  for  His  friends  and  followers,  but  they  were 
soon  to  learn  that  it  was  only  through  His  going  that 
the  greater  gain  could  come.  Up  to  this  time  the  dis- 
ciples were  dependent  upon  the  physical  presence  of 
their  Lord  in  order  to  serve  Him  best,  but  they  were  to 
do  the  "greater  works"  under  the  spell  of  His  Spirit, 


218  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


not  His  physical  presence.  In  His  physical  presence 
He  was  with  them;  by  the  coming  of  the  Comforter, 
— the  Spirit  of  Truth — He  was  in  them.  Says  Bishop 
Brent :  "The  presence  of  the  Paraclete  took  the  place 
of  the  localized  Christ  not  as  a  bare  substitute  but  as 
that  which  constitutes  a  superior  presence,  including 
all  that  is  held  formerly  and  adding  greatness  to  great- 
ness, riches  to  wealth.  In  going  Christ  came  in  a  ful- 
ness which  was  wanting  before  He  went,  the  fulness  of 
added  availability,  a  higher  degree  of  presence." 

How  easy  it  is  for  us  to  place  our  dependence  upon 
the  physical,  that  which  we  can  see,  touch,  and  hear  or 
taste.  How  difficult  for  us  to  trust  the  Spirit  unseen 
and  intangible.  It  does  not  come  easy  to  say  and  be- 
lieve it:  "For  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are 
seen  but  at  the  things  that  are  unseen,  for  the  things 
which  are  seen  are  temporal,  but  the  things  which  are 
not  seen  are  eternal."  The  Apostle  learned  that  truth 
in  the  school  of  the  Comforter.  By  the  withdrawal  of 
Jesus'  physical  presence  there  came  the  unspeakable 
gift  of  the  Comforter,  Advocate,  Helper  and  Ally, 
never  absent,  ever  ready  to  bless,  to  heal,  to  guide. 

In  this  fact  that  it  was  expedient  for  Christ  to  go 
away  that  the  greater  blessing  might  come,  is  there 
not  a  principle  admitting  of  wide  application?  Is  it 
expedient  that  these  apparent  losses  should  come  to  us 
in  order  that  the  greater  gain  may  take  their  place? 
Take  the  solemn  matter  of  death,  and  the  separation 
from  us  of  those  we  love  and  upon  whose  support  we 
lean.  The  anguish  of  separation  is  often  too  deep 
even  for  tears.  And  yet,  to  those  who  hold  the  faith 
of  Jesus  Christ,  by  that  very  experience  new  avenues 


WHAT  AND  WHERE  IS  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT?  219 


of  power  have  been  opened,  and  if  the  world  of  sense 
and  sound  becomes  less  absorbing  the  world  of  Spirit 
becomes  more  real.  Absent  in  body,  present  in  the 
spirit,  those  dear  ones  seem  closer  than  breathing, 
nearer  than  hands  or  feet. 

Was  it  expedient  that  our  loved  ones  left  us  in  the 
flesh,  that  we  should  know  them  the  more  intimately 
in  the  realm  of  the  Spirit?  Was  it  expedient  that  we 
should  lose  their  physical  fellowship  that  we  mfght 
gain  their  spiritual  companionship?  In  what  seemed 
all  loss,  is  there  not  all  gain?  Is  there  not  a  higher 
spiritualism  than  that  which  attempts  to  establish  com- 
munication with  the  dead,  a  faith  which  knows,  realizes 
and  rejoices  in  a  spiritual  communion  with  those  who 
have  gone  from  us  ?  I  do  not  attempt  to  answer  these 
questions.  I  raise  them  and  leave  them  unanswered. 
There  are  depths  here  which  we  have  not  fathomed; 
there  are  heights  here  yet  unsealed ;  vast  areas  not  yet 
explored.  Jesus  brought  to  the  world  a  new  release 
of  spiritual  power  by  means  of  the  withdrawal  of  His 
physical  presence.  Beware  lest  we  think  or  speak  of 
our  Lord  as  though  He  were  "an  absentee  Christ." 
Jesus  is  here.  He  is  here  in  spiritual  power.  Here  in 
the  person  of  the  Comforter,  the  Advocate,  Helper  and 
Ally.  To  quote  the  words  of  a  great  modern  Chris- 
tian: "He  is  nearer  to  us,  not  farther,  than  He  was 
to  those  fishermen  in  Galilee,  but  we  seem  slower  to 
forsake  our  boats  and  nets  than  they  were.  He  means 
us,  through  His  all-embracing,  all-reconciling  presence, 
to  do  greater  works  than  ever  He  did  as  an  individual 
there;  not  to  spend  our  time  and  energy  in  arguing 
about  those  less  great  works  of  His,  whether  and  how 


220  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


they  were  done."  We  need  not  pray  for  the  Comforter 
to  come.  He  has  come!  We  need  not  plead  for  the 
sending  of  the  Spirit.  He  is  here!  We  have  but  to 
receive  Him,  be  filled  with  Him  and  be  led  by  Him. 

No  distant  Lord  have  I,  longing  afar  to  be; 

Made  flesh  for  me  He  cannot  rest  until  He  rests  in  me. 

Broken  in  joy  and  pain,  bone  of  my  bone  is  He; 

Now  intimacy  clearer  still,  He  dwells  himself  in  me. 

I  need  not  journey  for  this  dearest  friend  to  see, 

Companionship  is  always  mine,  He  makes  His  home  with  me. 


XVII 

THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC 

A  Hymn  of  the  Nativity  set  to  Music  by  The  Holy 
Spirit? 


Luke  2:8-20. 

And  there  were  shepherds  in  the  same  coun- 
try abiding  in  the  field,  and  keeping  watch  by 
night  over  their  flock.  And  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about  them:  and  they  were  sore 
afraid.  And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Be  not 
afraid;  for  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of 
great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  the  people:  for 
there  is  born  to  you  this  day  in  the  city  of 
David  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord. 
And  this  is  the  sign  unto  you:  Ye  shall  find 
a  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and 
lying  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly  there  was 
with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host  praising  God,  and  saying, 

Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men 
in  whom  He  is  well  pleased. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  angels  went 
away  from  them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds 
said  one  to  another,  Let  us  now  go  even  unto 
Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  that  is  come  to 
pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  known  unto 
us.  And  they  came  with  haste,  and  found  both 
Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying  in  the 
manger.  And  when  they  saw  it,  they  made 
known  concerning  the  saying  which  was 
spoken  to  them  about  this  child.  And  all  that 
heard  it  wondered  at  the  things  which  were 
spoken  unto  them  by  the  shepherds.  But 
Mary  kept  all  these  sayings,  pondering  them 
in  her  heart.  And  the  shepherds  returned, 
glorifying  and  praising  God  for  all  the  things 
that  they  had  heard  and  seen,  even  as  it  was 
spoken  unto  them. 


XVII 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC 

So  interwrought  are  some  compositions  with  certain 
impressive  occasions  or  illustrious  names  that  it  is 
quite  impossible  to  think  of  one  and  not  the  other. 
One  seldom  hears,  for  instance,  the  stately  measures  of 
the  famous  march  in  Lohengrin  without  thinking  of 
a  wedding,  particularly  a  church  wedding.  The  stir- 
ring hymn  "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  Our  God"  suggests 
the  name  of  Martin  Luther.  Thomas  Knox's  "Why 
Should  the  Spirit  of  Mortal  Be  Proud?"  serves  to  re- 
call the  life  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  whose  favorite  poem 
it  was.  Comes  Christmas — and  the  one  passage  of 
Scripture  that  the  occasion  invariably  selects  is  Saint 
Luke's  story  of  the  birth  of  Jesus.  Last  night  in  many 
a  home  this  story  was  read  to  children  just  before  they 
said  "Our  Father  Who  Art  in  Heaven"  or  "Now  I 
Lay  Me  Down  to  Sleep."  In  tens  of  thousands  of 
Churches  this  morning  this  Scripture  will  be  read  and 
made  the  basis  of  innumerable  sermons. 

Comment  upon  so  flawless  a  production  seems  super- 
fluous until  one  remembers  that  it  is  possible  to  praise 
this  narrative  extravagantly  and  at  the  same  time  not 
relate  it  in  any  practical  way  to  present  day  affairs  or 
personal  life.  This  is  a  peril  always  present,  a  tend- 
ency everywhere  observable.  Today,  with  tokens  of 
223 


224  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


the  Christmas  event  on  every  hand  and  this  place  still 
vibrant  with  the  melody  of  "Silent  Night,"  we  can  do 
nothing  better  than  to  reflect  on  this  Christmas  lyric, 
for  such  it  is — a  hymn  set  to  music  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  poetry  of  this  passage  is  exquisitely  fine.  Could 
anything  of  the  kind  be  lovelier  or  more  simply  told 
than  the  birth  of  Jesus  as  chronicled  by  "the  beloved 
physician."  Here  is  an  event — the  most  momentous 
of  all  history,  yet  in  its  telling  there  is  no  embellishment 
nor  any  tendency  to  lengthen  out  detail.  The  entire 
twenty  verses  tucked  away  in  a  corner  of  a  modern 
newspaper  would  attract  little  attention  and  might  easily 
be  overlooked.  In  twelve  sentences  the  world's  greatest 
love  story  is  told;  the  birth  of  humanity's  most  colossal 
Figure  described. 

The  scene  here  described  is  pastoral,  and  the  locality 
already  famed  in  Biblical  lore.  Over  these  same  hills, 
hundreds  of  years  before,  David  had  tended  his  father's 
flock  and  fought  successfully  the  lion  and  bear  that  at- 
tacked the  sheep.  Years  later  the  Shepherd  King,  fa- 
miliar with  both  the  sweets  and  the  bitterness  of  re- 
nown, musing  on  his  boyhood  days,  commemorated 
them  in  that  Psalm  of  Psalms — the  Psalm  of  the  Shep- 
herd's crook,  of  green  pastures  and  still  waters.  On 
these  identical  hills,  to  the  shepherds  abiding  in  the 
fields  and  keeping  watch  over  their  flock,  the  Good 
News  came.  Jesus'  life  was  curiously  linked  with 
shepherds  and  the  shepherding  ministry.  He  called 
Himself  the  Good  Shepherd,  spoke  of  His  disciples 
as  His  flock,  and  said  that  He  had  "other  sheep"  not 
of  the  recognized  fold. 

Why  were  shepherds  so  signally  honored  as  to  be 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  225 

the  first  to  hear  the  good  tidings?  Why  was  not  this 
stupendous  event  communicated  first  to  a  group  of 
learned  Rabbis  or  others  of  the  wise,  the  renowned, 
and  the  great?  Is  God  a  respecter  of  persons?  Was 
this  high  honor  reserved  for  peasants  just  because  they 
were  poor?  Was  this  distinction  withheld  from  the 
learned,  the  great,  the  rich,  just  because  they  were 
learned,  and  great,  and  rich?  I  think  not.  There  is, 
to  be  sure,  a  fitness  in  the  fact  that  the  first  heralding 
of  Jesus'  coming  should  have  been  to  the  humble  and 
the  lowly.  The  great  majority  of  the  peoples  of  earth 
are  poor  and  their  lives  a  battle  for  *bread  and  for 
shelter  almost  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  Even 
so,  we  may  believe  that  this  was  not  the  chief  reason 
that  shepherds  were  the  first  to  learn  of  the  Saviour's 
birth.  Rather  was  it  not  because  they  were  best  fitted 
spiritually  to  receive  the  great  Word?  Edersheim, 
learned  author  of  one  of  the  best  known  "Lives  of 
Christ"  says  that  the  flocks  of  sheep  watched  and  tended 
in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem  were  for  sacrifice  in  the 
Temple  and  that  their  guardians  were  not  ordinary 
shepherds.  Whether  he  is  correct  or  not,  we  cannot  be 
far  wrong  in  assuming  that  the  watchers  of  the  flock 
that  night  of  nights  possessed  a  certain  preparation  of 
mind  and  affections  to  receive  the  Revelation.  The 
learned,  the  famous,  the  exalted  of  that  day,  as  pos- 
sibly of  all  other  days,  were  troubled  about  many  things. 
Their  lives  were  already  full  and,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Inn  at  Bethlehem,  they  had  no  room  for  the  Great 
Gift. 

So  it  came  about  that  the  Great  Light  shone  upon 
the  shepherds  as  they  kept  watch  by  night  over  the 


226  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


sheep.  An  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  them  and  pro- 
claimed the  good  tidings  of  great  joy;  then  others  of 
the  celestial  band  appeared,  and  they  praised  God,  say- 
ing— "Glory  to  God  in  the  Highest."  Angels!  How 
the  word  revives  memories  that  bless  and  burn.  An- 
gels! Messengers  of  Almighty  God;  visitants  from  a 
better  order  of  society  than  this  world  of  sin  and  death. 
Angels!  Blessed  belief  that  God  has  His  messengers 
of  mercy,  His  heralds  of  hope,  His  personal  represen- 
tatives who  can  go  anywhere,  at  any  time,  under  any 
conditions.  Angels!  The  word  vivifies  my  remem- 
brance of  a  little  girl,  nearing  the  boundaries  of  the 
unseen  and  struggling  for  life;  her  speech  no  longer 
coherent,  but  on  her  lips,  clear  and  distinct,  one  word 
was  repeated  over  and  over  again — "Angels,"  "An- 
gels," "Angels."  Oh,  the  exquisite  poetry,  the  lovely 
language,  the  unending  glory  of  this  Christ  Lyric  of 
Jesus'  birth  in  Bethlehem. 

It  was  not  a  mere  contingency  that  the  birth  of  Jesus 
should  be  inseparably  linked  with  peace  among  men. 
Peace  on  earth  is  the  note  exultant  in  this  lyric  of 
Christmas.  The  New  Testament  is  a  Book  of  peace, 
not  of  battles ;  a  book  that  pronounces  a  blessing  upon 
the  peace-makers  and  promises  they  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God.  Between  the  peace  spirit  and  ideals 
of  the  Gospels  and  the  history  of  nineteen  centuries 
called  Christian,  there  is  something  incongruous,  dis- 
cordant and  discouraging.  Save  for  brief  seasons  and 
in  restricted  areas,  Peace  on  Earth  has  not  yet  pre 
vailed.  Christendom  has  much  to  her  stock  of  credit — - 
much  that  is  glorious  and  monumental,  but  Christen- 
dom has  yet  to  know  the  victory  of  peace  on  earth.  No 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  227 


sadder  spectacle  has  the  world  beheld  than  that  of  the 
followers  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  hacking  each  other 
down  with  the  sword,  assailing  each  other  with  gasses 
that  scorch  and  shrivel  the  lungs,  blasting  each  other 
to  bits  with  bombs,  drowning  each  other  at  sea  by  the 
wholesale,  hymning  hate  against  each  other  to  the  bit- 
ter end. 

Peace  on  earth  depends  upon  good  will  between  men. 
As  long  as  hate  reigns  in  the  human  heart,  as  long  as 
covetousness  crowds  out  the  spirit  of  brotherliness, 
as  long  as  jealousy  and  envy  hold  their  sway  over 
mankind,  so  long  will  wars  endure.  Mere  limitation 
of  armament  is  not  enough — that  of  itself  would  be 
only  a  makeshift  if  the  causes  that  produce  war  are  not 
abolished.  Destroy  every  battleship,  scrap  every  sub- 
marine, wreck  every  bombing  plane,  muster  out  the 
soldiery  now  in  ranks — do  all  this,  but  make  no  intelli- 
gent and  consistent  effort  to  create  a  new  heart  in  man 
or  open  up  a  new  outlet  for  his  enthusiasms  and  ambi- 
tions, and  some  kind  of  war  enginery,  like  the  harvest 
of  that  famed  crop  of  dragon  teeth,  will  spring  up 
over  night. 

There  are  reasons  for  rejoicing  this  morning  because 
world  peace  is  a  little  nearer  than  it  was  a  year  ago; 
some  progress  has  been  made  in  the  conference  on  Lim- 
itation of  Armaments  at  Washington.  More  people 
are  thinking  peace  today  than  ever  before.  The  voice 
of  the  people  in  solemn  protest  is  being  heard  in  the 
councils  of  the  nations  with  a  new  insistence;  but  make 
no  mistake,  the  Millennium  is  not  at  hand.  The  voice 
of  the  profiteer,  the  militarist,  the  granite-hearted  ma- 
terialist who  walks  by  sight  and  not  by  faith — their 


228  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


voices  are  still  potent  in  behalf  of  armaments  and  a 
continuance  of  the  old  order.  Not  only  so,  but  the 
motives  for  world  peace  must  be  deeper  than  for 
mere  economic  reasons  if  peace  on  earth  endure. 

If  Disarmament  is  desired  chiefly  because  it  would 
reduce  taxes  and  produce  a  revival  of  business,  we  may 
believe  that  army  and  naval  disarmament  might  come 
to  pass,  and  we  should  have  in  its  stead  a  commercial 
and  industrial  armament  as  deadly  and  as  difficult  to 
conquer  as  the  old  and  familiar  kind.  Peace  on  Earth 
— well  it  simply  cannot  come  until  there  is  good  will 
among  men.  Good  will  among  men  is  retarded  by 
racial  pride,  handicapped  by  commercial  jealousies, 
hindered  by  biased  partisanship,  crippled  and  ham- 
strung by  a  mean  and  narrow  sectarianism.  The  core 
of  Jesus'  teaching  is  the  supremacy  of  love  and  of  sac- 
rifice, the  ministry  of  service  and  of  mercy,  the  mighti 
ness  of  right  and  justice.  If  we  are  to  have  peace 
among  men,  men  must  know  the  peace  which  is  Christ's. 
His  peace  was  an  inward  experience  before  it  became 
an  outward  manifestation.  His  peace  was  a  result 
of  obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  Spirit.  He  walked  in 
full  fellowship  with  the  Father  because  from  a  child 
He  learned  obedience.  It  is  possible  for  society  to  keep 
the  laws  in  a  formal  way  and  still  bend  and  break  the 
laws  of  love  and  remain  anarchists  in  the  realm  of  the 
Spiritual.  There  will  never  be  peace  on  earth  until 
that  Gospel  of  good  will  which  Jesus  taught  be  medi- 
ated through  the  lives  of  those  who  accept  His  teach- 
ing, and  narrow  nationalism,  racial  hostilities  and  sec- 
tarian bigotry  give  way  to  a  Christian  commonwealth 
— worldwide  in  its  scope. 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  229 


In  the  very  center  of  this  matchless  story  is  the 
Child;  the  chief  actor  in  this  world  drama  'is  the  Babe 
at  Bethlehem.  The  shepherds,  the  angels,  the  manger, 
the  star — these  are  all  incidental.  Christianity  began 
with  a  child,  and  no  teaching  of  Jesus  is  more  funda- 
mental than  when  He  said:  "Suffer  the  little  children 
to  come  unto  me;  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the 
Kingdom  of  God."  What  gesture  of  Jesus  was  of 
more  consequence  than  when,  having  been  asked  by  His 
disciples  who  should  be  regarded  as  the  greatest  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven,  He  called  to  Him  a  little  child 
and  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  said :  "Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  except  ye  turn  and  become  as  little  chil- 
dren, ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven."  Childhood  has  been  wronged  terribly,  and 
the  rights  of  the  child  have  been  as  flagrantly  disre- 
garded as  the  rights  of  womanhood.  Babies  have  not 
always  counted  for  much;  there  are  places  still  where 
they  count  for  little.  There  are  corners  of  the  earth 
where  the  Gospel  has  not  yet  come  where  babies,  espe- 
cially girl  babies,  are  slain  ruthlessly  and  in  great 
numbers;  places  where  a  puny  or  deformed  baby  is 
quickly  put  out  of  the  way.  There  are  plague  spots  of 
so-called  Christian  countries  where  babies  are  not  born, 
but  damned  into  the  world,  with  scarcely  a  chance  to 
live,  to  love  and  be  loved.  It  was  the  Christ  Himself 
who  declared  that  it  was  not  God's  will  that  His  little 
ones  should  perish.  It  is  often  man's  will  that  the  little 
one  suffer  and  die  so  young.  Sometimes  this  is  due 
to  ignorance,  sometimes  to  a  perverse  heart  and  a  wrong 
conception  of  what  Christianity  is. 

Yes,  a  baby  is  in  the  center  and  at  the  very  heart  of 


230  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


this  lyric  of  Saint  Luke's  Gospel.  God's  greatest  Gift 
to  the  world  came  as  a  child — a  helpless  babe,  born 
amidst  poverty  and  off  to  one  side  of  the  highways 
of  the  world.  Theodore  Parker  once  said  that  a  baby 
is  better  for  the  heart  than  a  whole  academy  of  philoso- 
phers, and  of  course  he  was  right.  A  young  mission- 
ary madonna,  after  bending  over  her  first-born,  wrote 
to  friends  at  home — "I  had  no  idea  being  a  mother  was 
so  wonderful."  The  advent  of  a  child  in  a  home  is 
always  occasion  for  wonderment,  a  never-ceasing  mir- 
acle, and  to  the  seeing  eye  every  mother's  man  child 
is  haloed  with  a  glory  that  only  the  mother-heart  may 
know.  Wordsworth  was  never  more  seer-like  than 
when  he  wrote 

Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy. 

And  there  are  other  lines  in  the  same  noble  ode  that 
have  been  praised  much,  but  not  too  much — 

Our  birth  is  but  a  sleep  and  a  forgetting: 
The  soul  that  rises  with  us  our  life's  star — 

Hath  had  elsewhere  its  setting, 

And  cometh  from  afar, 

Not  in  entire  forgetfulness, 

And  not  in  utter  nakedness, 
But  trailing  clouds  of  glory  do  we  come 

From  God,  who  is  our  home. 

There  is  a  something  in  the  touch  of  the  hand  of  a 
little  child  more  enchanting  than  that  of  a  fairy's 
wand.  I  can  understand  how  the  hard  heart  of  the 
leading  character  in  a  famous  story  melted  utterly  when 
he  felt  a  child's  soft  cheek  against  his,  and  the  tiny 
fingers  on  his  neck  and  behind  his  ears  and  in  his  hair. 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  231 


Then  the  trustfulness  and  the  affection  and  the  faith  of 
a  little  child :  what  is  there  in  all  the  world  so  irresist- 
ible? 

Well  do  I  remember  arriving  in  the  Union  Station 
at  St.  Louis  on  a  blustery  winter  night  some  years  ago, 
and  alighting  from  the  car  with  me  was  a  young  mother 
and  her  baby,  a  beautiful  child,  possibly  a  year  old. 
She  was  heavily  burdened  with  baggage,  and  I  offered 
to  carry  the  child  for  her.  She  was  a  real  mother,  for 
she  took  a  good  look  at  me — a  searching  look — and 
then  she  handed  the  baby  over  to  me.  She  expected  to 
be  met  by  some  of  her  kinspeople  in  the  station,  so  she 
informed  me,  but  no  one  appeared,  and  after  we  had 
waited  and  looked  about  for  some  little  time  she  said, 
"Would  you  mind  keeping  baby  while  I  call  up  my  rela- 
tives here?"  Time  was  when  such  a  request  would 
have  set  me  quaking  and  filled  me  with  a  nameless  sort 
of  fear,  but  that  time  was  a  good  ways  in  the  past. 
Only  five  hours  before  I  had  said  good-by  to  my  own 
frisky  five.  So  I  kept  baby,  and  his  mother  disappeared 
in  the  direction  of  a  telephone  booth.  She  was  gone  a 
good  ten  minutes,  and  during  her  absence  I  paced  up 
and  down  the  long  waiting  room,  holding  the  little 
fellow  snug  in  my  arms.  He  was  a  dear;  he  was  con- 
tent; he  trusted  me  perfectly.  He  rested  his  velvety 
cheek  against  mine  and  gazed  at  me  out  of  his  big 
blue  eyes  as  one  who  had  absolute  faith,  never  doubt- 
ing but  that  even  a  stranger  would  protect  him  from 
the  smallest  harm.  His  little  soft  hand  stole  around 
my  neck  and  rested  there  ever  so  lightly.  I  thought  of 
the  lines : 


232  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 


Softer  it  seemed  than  the  softest  down 
On  the  breast  of  the  gentlest  dove 
And  its  timid  press  and  its  sweet  caress 
Were  strong  in  the  strength  of  love. 

By  and  by  and  his  mother  returned.  I  helped  her  and 
her  young  son  into  a  taxi  and  said  good-night,  and 
the  little  stranger  vanished  out  of  my  life  as  quickly  as 
he  came  into  it,  but  he  left  a  memory  tender  and 
precious. 

God  hath  joined  together  the  cradle  and  Christmas. 
Christianity  has  coronated  childhood.  God  gives  us 
children,  but  the  molding  of  them  for  better  or  for 
worse — that  ministry  is  our  own.  Christ  put  the  child 
in  our  midst,  but  society  has  for  a  greater  part  set 
him  to  one  side — neglected,  slighted  and  wronged  him. 
If  we  want  peace  on  earth  there  is  a  way  to  get  it: 
train  the  child  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus;  train  him  to 
think  peace,  not  war ;  rear  him  in  the  ideals  of  brother- 
hood; teach  him  the  supremacy  of  service — but  to  do 
that  successfully  the  child  must  have  for  environment 
a  society  that  is  Christian  not  only  on  Sunday  but 
seven  days  in  the  week. 

Christmas  helps  us  to  evaluate  the  children  in  our 
home  at  their  true  worth.  Surely  the  blessed  birthday 
of  our  Lord  is  a  family  festival  like  unto  no  other. 
There  is  a  story  which  inspired  a  much  admired  paint- 
ing called  "Content."  A  Chinese  beggar  is  shown 
coming  in  before  his  king.  With  the  beggar  are  two 
small  sons.  He  claims  to  be  penniless;  he  asks  for 
money.  The  king  promises  to  give  him  all  that  his 
heart  should  desire,  but  there  is  one  condition:  the 
beggar  must  give  in  return  one  half  of  his  visible 


THE  CHRISTMAS  LYRIC  233 


wealth.  To  this  he  readily  agrees  for  he  believes  he  has 
no  wealth.  Then  the  king  mentions  in  detail  his  pay- 
ment, and  the  first  item  he  calls  for  is  one  of  the  lads. 
The  beggar  had  not  thought  of  his  boys  as  wealth  and 
he  is  staggered  by  the  request.  In  the  end,  the  mendi- 
cant goes  away  from  the  court  with  an  arm  about  each 
boy,  content  with  what  he  has.  The  story  is  good  as 
far  as  it  goes,  but  it  does  not  go  far  enough.  It  is  costly 
to  rear  children  and  give  them  a  chance  in  the  world. 
If  society  were  really  Christian,  beggars  would  be  rare, 
and  rarer  still  the  children  of  beggars,  to  be  dwarfed, 
hindered  and  cursed  by  poverty's  blight. 

Christmas  in  many  a  home  this  year  cannot  but  be 
different  from  Christmas  of  a  year  ago.  Oh,  what  a 
company  of  children  whose  shouts  and  merry  laughter 
made  music  a  year  ago  have  since  gone  from  us  by 
way  of  the  great  pilgrimage  of  death.  How  small  their 
feet,  and  how  brave  to  take  that  long  journey  with 
never  a  doubt  or  a  fear !  Thrice  blessed  is  the  truth 
that  the  Christmas  lyric  includes  not  only  poetry, 
charm  and  color  but  comfort  as  well.  He  whose  birth 
we  commemorate, — He  who  said:  "Suffer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  Me," — shall  He  not  bless  and 
comfort  the  heavy  heart  in  the  homes  where  Christmas 
today  is  not  the  same  nor  ever  can  be  as  it  was  ere  the 
charmed  circle  was  broken?  It  was  the  Christ  who 
said  of  these  little  ones,  "their  angels  do  always  behold 
the  face  of  my  Father  Who  is  in  Heaven." 

O  Christmas,  merry  Christmas! 

Is  it  really  come  again? 
With  its  memories  and  greetings, 

With  its  joy  and  with  its  pain. 


234  WHEN  JESUS  WROTE  ON  THE  GROUND 

There's  a  minor  in  the  carol, 

And  a  shadow  in  the  light, 
And  a  spray  of  cypress  twining 

With  the  holly-wreath  tonight. 
And  the  hush  is  never  broken 

By  laughter,  light  and  low, 
As  we  listen  in  the  starlight 

To  the  "bells  across  the  snow." 

O  Christmas,  merry  Christmas! 

Tis  not  so  very  long 
Since  other  voices  blended 

With  the  carol  and  the  song! 
If  we  could  but  hear  them  singing 

As  they  are  singing  now, 
If  we  could  but  see  the  radiance 

Of  the  crown  on  each  dear  brow, 
There  would  be  no  sighs  to  smother, 

No  hidden  tear  to  flow, 
As  we  listen  in  the  starlight 

To  the  "bells  across  the  snow." 

O  Christmas,  merry  Christmas! 

This  never  more  can  be; 
We  cannot  bring  again  the  days 

Of  our  unshadowed  glee. 
But  Christmas,  happy  Christmas, 

Sweet  herald  of  goodwill, 
With  holy  songs  of  glory 

Brings  holy  gladness  still. 
For  peace  and  hope  may  brighten, 

And  patient  love  may  glow, 
As  we  listen  in  the  starlight 

To  the  "bells  across  the  snow." 


THE  END 


Date  Due 


-  • 

11  T>7 

